


I'll Leave So I Don't Have To Watch You Go

by MusicalPancakes77



Series: I Held Your Hand and We Went Together [1]
Category: LazyTown
Genre: Angst, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff, Liberal use of Italics, M/M, Mentioned verbal/slight physical abuse, Mutual Pining, Neither Sportacus nor Robbie understand love someone help them, Slow Burn, in later chapters anyways, sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-04
Updated: 2017-07-11
Packaged: 2018-09-14 14:53:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 94,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9187103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MusicalPancakes77/pseuds/MusicalPancakes77
Summary: The kids are growing up and Lazytown is actually accumulating a respectable population size. Robbie decides that maybe villainy isn't really for him after all. Sportacus, ever the town hero, sees fit to stick close to Robbie's side as he transitions into a functioning member of society. It's not at all weird that they have these awkward moments, or that they love each other's laughs and smiles, or buy each other gifts, or act almost like an old married couple......Robbie can't really figure out what their relationship is. After a discussion with Sportacus one night, he isn't sure if staying in Lazytown is the best thing for him. Better to leave first, right?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave me a comment at the end, if you have any constructive criticism. This is my first time with fic in this style and I'd greatly appreciate some feedback. There is a possibility that I may post a second chapter, since I actually do have about 7k written.
> 
> Thank you for reading and enjoy!

The heat was extreme, the smoke burning his lungs. At first he’d just settled for that fact that he was going to die there, unable to get out, unable to be found. It wasn’t like anybody was going to miss his grumpy mischievousness anyways. 

The fire had been raging for what felt like hours, and after those exaggerated hours he heard it; the sound of somebody landing down the chute. 

Sitting up a little from his hiding place just barely away from the flames, he looked out. He wasn’t sure whether to be extremely happy or angry at the blue clad elf squatting under the chute, looking for him. Happy because he wasn’t going to die, ecstatic about living another day and making another invention; angry because, God damn it, Sportacus was here to save him. Always Sportacus saving people, always Sportacus saving _him_. 

“ROBBIE! Where are you?!” Sportacus called, voice frantic. 

The flames were wild, raging to their heart's content in the house under the ground. Robbie had a lot of discarded items and inventions that burned heartily in their current environment, their fumes making it hard to search. Some old inventions of Robbie’s had blown up due to the heat and flames, aiding to the difficulty. Sportacus ducked at the sound of an invention blowing up across the room. A brutal heat wave followed and Sportacus’ crystal flashed incessantly. 

Eventually, after a few moments, there came a hesitant cry. Sportacus crawled over to the sound and found Robbie, curled under one of his smaller work benches, covered in embers and smoke. His clothes were singed and some patches on his hands burned. The lankier of the two coughed, body shaking with it, and Sportacus paled. He grabbed Robbie and tugged him back to the chute. 

“ROPE!” Sportacus yelled, hoping his ever near airship would hear him. When it didn’t he tried again, this time hurriedly typing a digital command into his bracer. It took a moment but, with his elevated elf hearing, Sportacus heard the sound of a rope falling down the chute. He grabbed it and held Robbie close, an arm tight around his waist. 

Robbie wanted to protest, was about to, when he coughed again. It hurt to breathe, hurt to open his eyes, so instead he kept them close and let Sportacus type another command into the bracer. The rope tugged and Robbie felt himself be pulled upwards, into the hot chute with the embers and smoke around him. 

The chute was burning to the touch. It was hard not to smack into it, the rope pulling unmercifully, the two men banging back and forth at the whim of the metal around them. Every time they crashed into it either one of them hissed or cried in pain, causing sharp inhales of smoke. It burned and tasted terrible and Robbie was sure he’d have trouble in the upcoming weeks, was sure he had welts and burns on his skin. 

Finally, after forever of banging into red metal, they emerged from the chute. Both adults gasped for breath, chests working profusely to get adequates amounts of oxygen through their body. Robbie shuddered in Sportacus’s grip. The rope stopped pulling and the two of them dangled. Robbie didn’t have to look around to know that the billboard was burning, the sound of the crackling fire ever present in his ears. 

“Are- are you okay, Robbie? Robbie? Robbie, I need you to talk to me.” Sportacus demanded with a soft quiver of panic in his voice. Robbie nodded against blue clothes and hesitantly cracked an eye open. It was red, watering from the copious amounts of smoke still around them.

“I don’t know about okay,” he coughed again, the two of them swinging a little since Robbie shook with it, before continuing, “But certainly could be worse.”

Sportacus nodded and exhaled deeply. He nodded again, seeming to come to terms with this, and finally dropped them beside the chute. Robbie was still in his arms. Even if he could walk, which he couldn’t, he wouldn’t want to leave the muscled arms that carried him. 

Lazytown was such a small town that not only was there no police station, there was no fire department either. A hospital was another important building that seemed to have no importance. If anything they had a tiny clinic by Town Hall. 

With it being such a small town it wasn’t rare that word spread fast. As Sportacus carried them around the burning billboard, cracking and crumbling with the roar of it’s own fire, Robbie spotted the small crowd of townspeople by the road out of town. It was night outside, which explained why they all wore pajamas. They cheered at the sight of Sportacus carrying Robbie.

The villain wanted to growl in disgust but found he physically couldn’t, was too exhausted to. The hero, once again, saving the day. Saving the villain, as well. Robbie sent a death glare towards the masses of cheering people. He sent one Sportacus’ way as well. 

Suddenly, a thought made him stop. Made his cheeks flushed and a look of horror cross his face. 

That single line of thought went something along the lines of _‘Stupid Sportacus, saving the day, with his stupid Sporaflops- Sportaflips. He’s so aggravating, damn Sportakook, Sportaclod, Sportacutie-'_

Oh God, had he thought that? Robbie couldn’t believe he’d just thought that. Much less after being saved by the man from his own burning house, or more so from the fact that he deep down thought it was _true_. 

_He’s very good looking, nice hair, smells nice, amazing muscles, gleaming teeth- Oh my God...I have a crush on Sportacus._ That didn’t sound right to Robbie, though. After a few years of rivaling the above-average hero Robbie’d realized he did have a crush on Sportacus, a crush that he’d been repressing. It’d been awhile since he’d really thought about it but now everything just seemed to be crashing down. 

Why, he didn’t have a crush on Sportacus. No, he was _falling in love_ with Sportacus. Robbie, if it weren’t for his already teary eyes, would have teared up just at the realization. Looking at the damn elf, face accentuated by the red-orange glow of the billboard fire, costume singed but showing his muscles attractively, it was obvious by the fluttering feeling in his chest that he was indeed head over heels for Sportacus 10. 

Face flushed and heart beating faster than he’d like to admit, Robbie silently agreed with his inner self. A rush of distress shot through him and that stupid crystal of Sportacus’ started beeping. It had a wide range of ‘danger’ or ‘trouble’. Robbie, in this case, was in emotional trouble. Sportacus looked to him in worry. Robbie murmured that it was just the events dawning on him. The elf carried him towards the clinic, crowd following behind like puppies to their master. 

That night marked the first time that Robbie Rotten had realized that he was indeed in love. It wouldn’t be the last. 


	2. Chapter One

Four nights. Four nights that Robbie couldn’t bring himself to sleep. His frequent naps were really screwing with his sleep schedule. Maybe cutting out a few per week would help him sleep better, but at the moment nothing was helping. 

So, extremely tired, brain hallucinating to it’s own will, Robbie sat stiffly at a town meeting. He actually hadn’t wanted to be there (would instead like to be in bed _trying_ to sleep) but was invited. Mayor Meanswell had asked for him to come specifically, as it was something that he would have a major hand in. 

A class reunion. 

Robbie dead panned as Mayor Meanswell talked about the specifics of it, of _Robbie’s class reunion_ , and how he was going to ‘host’ it, per say. It had been Ms. Busybody’s idea, that he should host it, seeing as he was the only one of his classmates to stay in Lazytown after Nine left.

Back when Nine was around, Robbie went to school with a class size of around fifty students. That was far, far, _far_ too many people for Robbie to greet and converse with. Just the mere thought of standing up in front of them sent a wave of nausea in his stomach. They’d all left for bigger and better places and Robbie was glad. Not only did it mean more peace and quiet around the town, but he’d _hated_ his peers. Hearing that most of them would be coming back wasn’t comforting at all. 

With a face equivalent to that of a zombie he listened to the mayor. The kids sounded more excited than Robbie would ever be. They were going to help with decorating the old school gymnasium. Robbie, with Ms. Busybody, would be in charge of overseeing everything and helping around. Just hearing that made the man groan. Robbie raised his hand and waited for Milford to address him.

“Mayor, are you sure I should be speaking at this…. _thing_? I mean...I’m the _least_ qualified person to do this. Also, when was I _asked_? I don’t remember being asked about this.” 

Milford paled. “I’ve been in contact with most of your classmates via Facebook. They said that since you were the only one to stay in the end that they’d love for you to speak and introduce everyone, that you would be the most qualified. As for asking….We tried to a few months ago. You shrugged us off and said that you’d do it if we let you sleep for the rest of the evening.” 

“Oh.” Robbie clucked his tongue. Well that’s just great. He’d have to start planning his outfit, since he couldn’t skip the event now, so everyone else would look disgusting compared to him. Payback for high school. 

Thinking back on it, this wouldn’t be the first class reunion. In fact, Robbie’d refused to go to the 10 year reunion just a decade ago. Why, just the reminder that he was on the cusp of age thirty-nine was almost degrading in it’s own way. Robbie frowned persistently throughout the rest of the meeting. That is, until Sportacus spoke up. 

“Mayor, is there anything that I can do? Hang decorations? Make healthy snacks?”

“Hmm...Maybe! We’ll have to ask the reunion committee. They agreed to Robbie ‘hosting it’,” Robbie grumbled something and sneered, “...so, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind the extra help!” Milford finished with a determined harumph. 

“Alright, thank you, Mayor. Just let me know what you need and I’ll do it!” He grinned that stupidly bright smile and Robbie flushed. He sunk lower into his bench seat while new and old, familiar kids crowded around the elf in excitement. He was going to hate this, wasn’t he?

**00000000**

Decorating the gymnasium sucked, if one asked Robbie his opinion. He stood, holding the bottom of a ladder, internally grumbling. He’d managed to get a few nights of sleep, excluding last night. One of his old classmates, a short man with a too chipper attitude, was hanging decorations onto the walls. There was a plus side at least, an old school friend who Robbie found he could still hold a decent conversation with.

“Honestly though, who has time to do that much exercise?” His friend asked, watching Sportacus flipping around and doing pushups in his spare time. Robbie snickered beside him and nodded.

“He does it all day long. Other than the kids, Mayor, and Ms. Busybody, I’m seriously doubting he has any social life.”

“Oh, and you don’t, Mr. Recluse?”

Robbie laughed, full and out loud; his friend had gotten him there. He gave him an almost full teeth smile, “You got me! At least _I’m_ introducing at a stupid high school reunion. Tell me again why you’re here early, I thought you hated everybody even _more_ than I do.” His friend snorted and went off into an explanation.

Meanwhile, Sportacus sat up on the other side of the gym. That laughter! It sounded so serene. It didn’t sound like anybody's that he knew of. But, looking over at the adults decorating the walls, he saw _Robbie_ laughing. His amused friend was explaining something, trying not to cackle, while Robbie seemed to wail with it. On top of the ladder the chipper adult called down, asking Robbie to hold it properly. Robbie settled while wiping tears away. Sportacus watched with flushed cheeks. He looked so beautiful… 

Robbie Rotten was somebody who rarely smiled, much less laughed and meant it. Whoever this old friend was certainly knew him well. Robbie sounded so... lighthearted. The tips of Sportacus’ hidden ears were dusted a dark blush at the thought about how cute he sounded. Not to mention his amazing smile, despite eating so much cake. So big and pearly white, out there for everyone to see. 

“Is that Robbie laughing?” Stephanie asked him. Sportacus jumped in surprise, looking back and forth from his almost-newfound crush and Stephanie.

“Uh, ah, yeah, yes, Stephanie- that’s Robbie laughing.”

“He sounds so happy! I’m glad someone can make him do it. He doesn’t ever seem this happy, even when you show up. We’re always excited when you’re around, but if anything he always seems to get grumpier.” 

While Stephanie droned on, Sportacus found his mouth tasted like cotton. She was right, Robbie didn’t like him, was always grumpy around him. Why, there was little a time when Robbie would smile or even chuckle around him (unless it was for covering up his own embarrassment from being out of his disguise). Robbie, so handsome and tall, special in his own way that Sportacus found himself loving, despised him. He’d even said so himself, on multiple occasions.

“Whoa, Sportacus, are you okay? You look really sickly suddenly.” Stephanie tugged on his jacket, her mouth pulled into a worried frown, brows furrowed. Sportacus jumped back into reality.

“Don’t worry Stephanie, I’m alright. I’m glad that Robbie’s happy too. I have to agree, it’s great that someone can make him laugh. Maybe someday we can do that for him, too.”

“Yeah! And maybe he could play games with us!”

Sportacus laughed; he loved her enthusiasm. “Perhaps someday, Stephanie, but I think that might be pushing it a little. But we can always try. Come on, let’s finish the gym. We can talk more about this later.” 

… It was okay for an elf to dream, right? Sport smiled at Robbie’s laughing form, trying to stifle it at the ladder base, his friend cracking up beside him. Robbie Rotten was beautiful, and Sportacus thought that if he could make this fluttering, excited feeling ( It was called love right? Robbie made Sportacus feel love, correct?) inside him all day long, then the elf wouldn’t mind. A blush spread across his face and he got back to work, renewed energy surging through him. 

Today was decidedly a good day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wowie guys!! You're all awesome, lemme just say that right off the bat. I've never gotten such positive comments before, and I really appreciate the constructive criticism I've received too. So thank you to everyone! 
> 
> On another note, I'll try to update this two or maybe three times a week. I've been going back and forth between editing what I have written and writing new chapters so I'll always have something to upload at least a few times a week. 
> 
> Anyways, thank you all so much!! Have a wonderful rest of your day/night :)


	3. Chapter Two

Sportacus stood awkwardly at the edge of the dance floor, hands clasped in front of himself. Robbie had a big class...well, at least to Sportacus he did. Multiple unfamiliar faces roamed, smiling and chatting and laughing. Overall the reunion was cheery, affable. It was an environment that Sportacus could socialize and thrive in. 

On the other hand, Robbie hated it. Too many people, too many noises, too much laughter and fake smiles. He stood beside his old friend and an old acquaintance that he could tolerate. They were all murmuring together, grinning from their inside jokes.

Robbie grunted at the sight of Ms. Busybody walking in. A rush of anxious jitters fluttered in his stomach. It was his cue to get up onto the stage, wasn’t it?

“Go up and do your thing, mate!”

“Whatever your thing is.”

“Leave me be! Give me the damn microphone...” Robbie waved his hands in their directions, almost shooing them away. He waited, hand out, while Ms. Busybody turned the microphone on. He gingerly took it and stepped onto the makeshift stage.

The room quieted, everybody focusing on him. Robbie frowned and stilled his movements. There was too much attention on him, too many people. At least they were quiet...but it really didn’t help his anxiety. Robbie ignored the sweat beginning to form on his temples and the shake in his legs. He couldn’t let them see weakness. 

Sportacus, chatting idly with a few lingering people, turned his head as the talking subsided. He quit his own conversation and was quickly found distracted by how _hot_ Robbie looked. The man was thin, lanky, but was thicker in his thighs and upper arms. His hips could also be described as bigger, but Sportacus found that he loved it. Especially with those black dress pants, hanging by a smooth belt, white dress shirt, vest and tie. Black hair gelled back, a hand stuffed into his pocket in an ‘I could care less’ manner. The elf loved drinking in the sight of his crush so much, undressing him with his eyes (but he’d never admit that, oh no), that he almost forgot to pay attention to Robbie’s speech.

_Almost._

“Okay. We’re all here, we all know why; it’s a class reunion. I was told to be _nice_ and _upbeat_ for this welcoming speech. Well...Welcome.” 

A few laughs floated around the room. Robbie sounded the same as always. Sportacus watched in awe that people seemed to still know him so well. He turned his attention back and noticed the slight shake in Robbie’s voice and hands. Sportacus frowned and paid extra attention, worried for his anxious crush. 

"If you know me, which most of you really don’t, then you know I’m not very _nice_ or _upbeat_ and I’d rather be anywhere but here. I mean, you all moved out of town, I’m surprised you’re back!” Robbie seemed to laugh a little, chuckling at the fond memories of silence. His own laughter helped to ease his anxiety the slightest bit. He continued. 

“Anywho, you’re all back, and we’re all here. Enjoy your night, I guess. I’d rather be enjoying it with a slice of cake and silence but I’m stuck here with the rest of you. I don’t want to hear anybody complaining; only I’m reserved that right. Oh uh, also, yada yada yada, welcome back our prom King and Queen, you know who you are. Also, whoever was the class president? Yeah, it’s your time to speak. Everyone have a nice night, or whatever.”

Robbie huffed the last of his speech in a trembling voice and started for the stairs. Everything went down hill halfway through and he was grateful to get off the stage, limbs shaking. The microphone was relinquished to the class president, of whom Robbie didn’t look at as they passed. He held his stomach and breathed deeply beside his ‘friends’. They let him recover in peace. 

Sportacus smiled amongst the crowd. Only Robbie could give a speech like that and make it feel welcoming, in his own special way. His old peers seemed to agree, talking enthusiastically about how he hadn’t changed a bit. The elf watched Robbie rejoin his two peers before moving to the other side of the dance floor.

“Excuse me, Sportacus 10, was it? Sorry to bother you. My friends and I were just wanted to ask a few questions.”

Sportacus turned around, smiling brightly at a group of four, two females and two males. “Yes, that’s me! And sure, go ahead. I’m open to anything.”

“Oh, thank you so much! Well, you live here in Lazytown, correct?”

Sportacus laughed and nodded, “In a way, yes. I live in my airship, really, but I hardly leave Lazy County or go to any nearby cities.”

“Okay. Well, do you see Robbie daily?”

“A few times a week, yes. Let me guess, is the next question about him too?” Sportacus teased, chuckling with the group at their nods of conferment.

“Yes, it is. We just wanted to know if he’s happy. He was never very social in high school, didn’t smile that much. I know his home situations weren’t the best, but he looks so happy when he’s smiling!”

Sportacus faltered at the question, his smile fading into a concerned frown. Before the group of laughing adult could notice it it was gone and he was grinning all too cheerily.

“Uh...I’m not sure how to answer that. See….he’s a little mischievous, but I do see him smile and laugh...I don’t know him personally, though, so I don’t think I have any right to say whether or not he’s happy.” 

“Oh, understandable! Sorry for bothering you, we just wanted to know if he was doing any better. Enjoy your night, Sportacus 10.” The woman talking to him waved goodbye and started to motion her friends away. Sportacus was in the middle of turning around when he froze almost violently.

“By the way, do you like him?? You were looking him up and down pretty hardcore earlier!” A different lady from the group asked. She laughed when her friends tried to scolded her.

“Oh my god, how could you just say that?!” 

“What? It’s pretty obvious he likes him! I was just asking.”

“You know you can’t just blurt that out of nowhere.” Male Number One said. Sportacus turned around, blush hidden not very well. The lady was biting her lip, awaiting his juicy answer. The other three members in their group scolded in hushed tones. Despite this, they all looked to him expectantly.

“Uh...I guess you could say that, yeah….It’s-....It’s a new thing.” Sportacus coughed. Before the conversation could escalate any further he stepped away, the squealing of the woman ringing in his ears.

Robbie sure did go to school with some weird people. 

**00000000**

As per Lazytown, the party did not last long into the night. For once, the Lazytown hotel was packed and the bars were raging. Robbie couldn’t bring himself to join though, even with his ‘friends’ going to get shit-faced drunk. Instead of loud, drunken adults, Robbie instead occupied himself with the silence and beauty of the stars in the night sky. He relaxed under them and allowed a tiny smile to grace his features.

There was a hill just outside of town, near his old bunker, that allowed for good sky-watching. He laid there, just under a scandalously lonely tree (much like him), vest unbuttoned, tie loose, shirt untucked from his pants. His insomnia wasn’t terrible but Robbie knew he wasn’t going to sleep that night. Everything was silent, except the occasional uproar from the bars downtown, which weren’t too far away. 

For the first time all day, Robbie had time to think. He thought about how it was nice to see _some_ familiar faces, not too pleasant to see others. Everybody had name tags on so he hadn’t needed to worry about names. 

Perhaps what he hated most was how everyone got back together like old pals. Some people hadn’t liked each other in high school, hadn’t talked in years, and yet laughed and welcomed each other as though it was their own house they were meeting at. It caught Robbie off guard to the point where he grimaced. 

Everyone told him he stayed the same, he was ‘The Robbie that I remember!’ His reminiscent smile turned into a frown, then into a sneer. They were all idiots. Stupid, naive, too-friendly idiots. God, half of them reminded him of Sportacutie- Sportakiss- _Sportacus!_

...The fire’d happened a long time ago. Not two years yet; almost a year and a half living in an actual house, oh God. It’d been long enough that Robbie’s head-over-heels crush had festered and fed. Sometimes just the thought of Sportacus’ smile, voice, muscles, _everything, anything_ , was enough to make him drown in love. Every time his face flushed and his heart sped up, his hands shook and a wave of adrenaline ran through him. 

Along with love, though, came distress. He was the villain and Sportacus was the hero. Their relationship, if they were to ever have one, would never last. Robbie loved to think about a relationship with him but found he was too scared. Not to mention, the last time he’d gotten too fearful about it the elf’s damn crystal had beeped. Robbie never thought about him more than needed, or else Sportacus would come running (uninvited into his home, by the way). 

A cloud covered up the sparkling sky above Robbie. He sighed and eventually allowed himself a few thoughts on the exercise-driven elf. Whatever conflicted, knotted emotions inside him melted away. Thoughts about Sportacus always seemed to calm him down, too, not just rile him up. Sportacus, to him, was a rollercoaster of emotions. 

Robbie closed his eyes and let love sweep over him. He imagined a future for himself, one where he was truly happy- not wrestling against the flow of the increasing Lazytown residents and their life styles. He imagined him and Sportacus, a happy couple (a secret fantasy that he always referred to), sharing his house together, watching movies, holding hands. There was an even more secret fantasy where they grew old together. A small ‘mmph’ escaped Robbie. He was happy. 

Well...almost. What goes up must come down. This, apparently, includes human emotions. Before Robbie could even savor his contentedness his mind was working. 

_He’s too perfect. You’re just a mess of disappointment and anger. He’d never want you, nobody would, he’d never take you. He’s everything you want to be and everything you desire. He’s the hero and you’re the villain. He gets the happy ending and you get everything but. He’s perfect and you’re not he’s perfect and you’re not he’s perfect you’re not he’s perfect he’s perfect he’sperfectperfectperfect-_

Robbie sat up abruptly, hand clutching his chest. Panting heavily, harder than he should have been, jittery and shaky. This is why he never fantasized often- always ended badly. The villain groaned and fell back into the grass, wishing he could just sleep forever. 

**00000000**

With the kids (teenagers, actually) in bed and adults around the town, Sportacus stayed up past 8:08. The class reunion had ended around nine o’clock, and since then the elf was going back and forth between the two Lazytown bars with an eye out for drunkards. The job wasn’t too hard, if anything he was merely exhausted from being up still.

It was around midnight that Sportacus let himself finally walk away. The adults were in far less of a need to be saved; he hadn’t needed to do anything except catch the occasional drunkard from tripping. 

The airship was omnipresent. It was late, too late to be calling for a ladder, so he simply input the command into his bracer and started up the offered ladder with moderate difficulty. It was hard not to let the sway of the ladder lull him to sleep. In the end, Sportacus climbed into his airship with a wide yawn. 

On the ship, away from the crowds of unfamiliar people, Sportacus felt at peace. For a moment he laid on the floor, letting his mind catch up with the rest of him. He ignored the multiple yawns that passed his lips.

The AI offered a warm welcome, suggesting water and a short exercise routine before heavily hitting the hay. Sport grinned, sitting up and called for a glass of water, abiding by the suggestion. Before he could even take a drink his crystal went off. 

“Someone’s in trouble…!” An automatic response. The elf set down the water and walked (almost tripped) out his door, standing on the plank and searching with his telescope. The crystal let him know the area but he couldn’t find who was in trouble. Frowning, he grabbed the sphere from it’s assembly and held it in his hand for a better understanding. 

Hill; Tree; Near Robbie’s old bunker; Distress and frustration. Sportacus nodded and threw his telescope back into the airship; he could work with this information. 

With that, the careless elf he was, Sport jumped from his airship without another thought. The ladder still hung from the ship so he simply slid down it. His inhuman abilities allowed for safe landing in town square. He raced to Robbie’s old bunker and spied the hill just down the road. 

There was a singular problem. There was….nobody there.

Sportacus stood, brows knit, trying to figure out where the person could be. Finally, he heard the sound of ragged breathing and….crying? Sportacus turned around and looked around the hill. Up besides the tree, leaning against it’s base was...Robbie?

“Robbie? Is...that you? Are you okay? My crystal went off-”

“Oh shit- uh, fuck, n-no, I’m fine, Spor- Sportakook. I’m perfectly fine, uh, you can go back to your flippity-floppity-whatevers.”

“Are you sure, Robbie? Really sure? You sound very unnerved right now.”

“I said I’m fine!” Robbie snapped. Under the glistening moon light, Sportacus could see that Robbie very well was _not_ okay. Red puffy eyes, blotchy skin, disheveled look. The elf set his lips to a thin line and started up the hill.

“No, what are you doing?! I told you I’m fine, just go away!”

“I refuse to leave Robbie. If you’re so fine then maybe we can just have a normal conversation. I don’t know you as well as I should, and I’d like to change that.” Sportacus sunk down the tree base and gave a huff of relief. His body was screaming for rest - just sitting down felt like a thousand pounds off his chest. 

Robbie frowned at the hero, trying to look him over through squinted eyes. Eventually he gave up and grunted grumpily.

“You look like shit. Shouldn’t you be in bed?”

“Stayed up later to watch those at the bars. I _was_ up in my airship and about to get ready for bed when you set my crystal off.” Robbie grimaced and stared ahead. The stars were a good distraction away from his crush/nemesis. 

“...You’ve mentioned a few times that you don’t sleep for long, or haven’t slept for insane amounts of time. Just...I’m curious, Robbie; do you have insomnia?”

“I thought it was obvious. It got better this month but I didn’t sleep last night. I probably won’t sleep for a few days now.” The cycle was all too familiar. The nonchalance Robbie spoke with concerned Sportacus.

“Well, do you feel tired right now?”

“Pft, hell yeah I do. But sometimes it isn’t a matter of if I’m tired or not; it’s a question of whether or not I’ll fall asleep. Do you get it?”

The elf frowned. His tired brain couldn’t seem to wrap around the idea. “No, I don’t. If you’re tired then wouldn’t you fall asleep?”

“If only it were that easy… Even if I’m tired my brain could just be...running every scenario it can think of and I’ll never get a wink of sleep that night. For me, that’s how it works, anyways.”

Sportacus, half asleep against the tree base, grunted. He was tired of trying to understand the subject (even though he very much wanted to. Robbie was in trouble because of it. He’d help when his body could properly function). Robbie looked back at Sportacus and squinted. If anybody was in need of ‘saving’ here, it would be him. The man sighed and stood up, ignoring the cracking of his back as he straightened to his full height.

“You know,” Sportacus stopped to yawn, “You should really get your back checked. You’re only what….thirty-five?”

“Almost thirty-nine, _thanks_.” Robbie grumbled. He stooped down, ignoring his back, and found he was glad for the darkness of the night. His face heated up once he accidentally brushed noses with Sportacus while trying to pick the elf up. Sportacus jolted slightly beneath him.

“What are..you doing?”

“Picking you up, trying to get you off the ground, I don’t know! It’s far too late for you to be functioning properly, furthermore trying to ‘save’ me from my own thoughts. There’s no way you can climb that damn ladder and not fall to your death. It’s past midnight and you’re coming with me to mine.” 

They were still face to face, Robbie awkwardly hunched over. Sportacus was glad for his slightly heightened vision because he could see the outline of Robbie’s jaw, his nose, those thin, kissable lips. They were so close….Sportacus not-so visibly pouted when Robbie found his hands and hefted him to his feet. Admittedly the elf wobbled a bit, only further making Robbie’s point.

“Come on, we’re going to my house. You can sleep in my bed for the night.” 

“What? No - Robbie - I can make it to my airship fine!”

“You’re yawning and wobbling when you stand. I don’t trust you or the ladder, for that matter.”

Sportacus pouted, “I got up it fine before…”

“Well now’s now before, now is it? Please, shut those lips of yours and let me drag you in peace.” 

When Sportacus did as he was told Robbie found the silence suffocating. His mind began to run. The fact that Sportacus would be sleeping in _his_ bed only made the blush on his cheeks even deeper. He’d be able to smell him on his pillows tomorrow night, wouldn’t he? Robbie shuddered at the inane thought. 

Most of Lazytown residents’ houses resided looking towards the small park in the town center. This included Robbie’s, whose small home was located on a corner. It was a long walk for the two men, one wide awake with thoughts that wouldn’t stop plaguing him and the other closer and closer to collapsing due to sleep exhaustion with every step. They stood outside the door, Sportacus leaning on it, while Robbie shoved his keys in and unlocked it. 

“Come on, only a few more feet. You’ll be sleeping in my room tonight-” Robbie panicked and caught Sportacus before he could fall off the opening door. The elf’d fallen asleep while Robbie’d struggled with it. With difficulty, he hefted Sportacus inside. The trek down the hallway left him winded.

Robbie owned a queen sized bed, something that would engulf the smaller elf should he sleep on it. It in fact did engulf Sportacus, since he barely took up half of the right side. It was memory foam, meaning that Sportacus would sleep well in his giant ‘borrowed’ bed. 

Before leaving, Robbie steeled himself from intrusive thoughts and quickly stripped the elf down to his pants and tank top, vest and backpack on the other half of the bed. He gently set the crystal, in it’s casing, on the bedside table. There was no way he would let Sportacus sleep in full clothing. He'd would wake up feeling disgusting and uncomfortable if he did. 

After some meticulous meddling with the sheets, Robbie buried Sportacus in blankets and pillows. He made sure to steal the fuzziest blanket and fluffiest pillow for himself, though. He set his makeshift bed up in the living room and sauntered towards the kitchen. Food would be important for his inevitable all nighter. Robbie sighed and prepared himself for another night of frustration. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to publish this on Sunday but I ended up writing new chapters for longer than I'd originally thought, oops! I stayed up a little later to edit this chapter but that's okay. I'll try to update on Wednesday or Thursday this week, since the next chapter is written and waiting for editing. 
> 
> Thank you for reading, enjoy the rest of your day/night! :)
> 
> Edit on 7/27/17: Since this fic has been finished for a few weeks now, I decided to go back and see how my style changed. I noticed that a small section of dialogue was somehow deleted?? I don't know what happened with it, but I fixed the problem! Enjoy the rest of the fic :)


	4. Chapter Three

When Sportacus woke up it was to the soft tweeting of birds outside Robbie’s windows. Sportacus smiled against the pillows, his boyfriend’s pillows, and snuggled closer into them. His bed was always so comfy, it was inevitable for him to wake up after dawn during the nights he stayed over. 

Speaking of his boyfriend, Robbie wasn’t there. Sport whined softly as he stretched, flipping out of bed and humbly making his way towards the kitchen. That was the best place to go, since upon opening the door he was assaulted with the smell of eggs, bacon, and toast. Robbie always was quite the amazing cook. 

“Good morning, sleepy-head. Sleep well?” Robbie asked when Sportacus wrapped his arms around his thin waist. Robbie was making eggs, the soft sizzling of cooling bacon on the other side of the stove. Sport could practically taste breakfast already.

“Very well! You’re bed’s so comfortable, and you know that I love sleeping with you...”

Robbie smiled, feeling Sport nuzzling into his shoulder blades. “Mm, good.” 

Sportacus popped onto his tiptoes and looked over Robbie’s shoulder, “Did you add any spices to the eggs? It smells good.” 

“No, I didn’t. Well, nothing but some pepper. Why? Do you want me to add anything?” 

“Hmm..maybe a little bit of garlic powder? Oh, wait! I can take some of the extra chopped onions from last night and add a few. Would that be okay?”

Robbie grinned at the enthusiasm pouring from Sportacus. It was such a familiar thing that it turned endearing. “A few onions wouldn’t be _too_ bad, I guess. I’ll add a hint of garlic for you as well.” 

Sport hissed a “Yes!” before moving to grab the onions. Robbie turned around and grabbed a few from the container his boyfriend held out, sprinkling them into the scrambling yellow liquid. Sportacus put the onions back and grabbed some plates, setting the mini island up for breakfast. Robbie came over once done and loaded both plates with eggs. They each took their fill of bacon and toast.

“Thank you for breakfast, Robbie. I really appreciate that you made us something, especially this healthy! I know you don’t always like it…” 

“Your welcome, Sportacute. I don’t mind eggs; my mom used to make them every weekend when I was a kid. Come here..” Robbie hooked his arms around Sportacus’ waist, pulling the elf closer. Sport grinned, his arms wrapped around Robbie’s lanky shoulders. A soft kiss or two was exchanged, loving and light all in one. Their foreheads laid together after parting, the two swaying in the morning sunlight. 

While they swayed Sportacus heard the soft whistle of Robbie’s tea kettle. It was odd though, it sounded much like his crystal. The elf knew it couldn’t’ve been the crystal though, it was silent in his sweatpants pocket. Odder than it sounding like his crystal, when did Robbie get a tea kettle?

“Robbie...when’d you get a tea kettle? When’d you put it on…?” Sportacus asked. 

Instead of answering with words, Robbie opened his mouth and beeped. Actually _beeped_ at him. Like his crystal, except on going and getting louder and louder _and louder_. So loud it hurt to think. Hurt to hear, hurt to see. His hands flew to his ears, covering them. Sportacus squeezed his eyes shut, walking backwards. He only opened them when he tripped and-

Silence. Blissful silence. 

Sportacus breathed heavily against unfamiliar pillows, in an unfamiliar bed, in an unfamiliar room. Slowly, the hero sat up and looked to his crystal. The sphere was still in it’s casing, making it hard to see past the metal ‘S’ and ‘10’ decoration. Despite that, he could see it was gleamed over, telling him problem solved.

Wait, what? Problem solved? Had it _actually_ been beeping?? Sport grabbed the sphere and held it, cradled it, in his shaky hands. The mental picture of Stephanie holding Ziggy besides a fallen ladder flooded his senses. Crisis averted then. 

Well, one question answered. Second one: where was he? Sportacus sat back into the pillows and tried to think, ignoring the sweat on his back. He took in his surroundings, noting every detail.

The room was white, untouched by paint, nothing but a few books lining the shelves on the wall. The closet was mainly closed, a few sleeves peeking out. There was an orange lamp on the nightstand, the bed sheet and duvet a royal purple. Odd color combination....... 

Robbie! That’s whose house he was in! The only person that Sportacus knew who liked the color royal purple was him. Not to mention he was the last person who Sportacus remembered talking to. It was a late night last night ( _the class reunion, and adults were at the bars.._ ) and he sat with Robbie under a tree in the town outskirts ( _his crystal had gone off before bed, Robbie crying and his insomnia…_ ). Vaguely he remembered walking home with the slender man but couldn’t remember getting _into_ the house. 

In that moment another thought presented itself to Sportacus’ mind. _He was sleeping in Robbie Rotten’s bed_. A deep flush covered his face and his entire body tingled. Oh God, he was in Robbie’s bed. It was so comfortable, no wonder he enjoyed sleeping. Not to mention, it smelled _so_ good. Is that what Robbie smelled like? Sportacus found that he hoped so, letting himself slip back under the bedding with a nervous whine. 

Eventually, after his inevitable, small nervous breakdown, Sportacus pressed his lips into a firm line and flipped out of bed. The room was big, sure, but there wasn’t enough room for him to do his daily morning routine. It’d have to wait until later, Sportacus decided. Besides, it was time to find Robbie and apologize about having to be dragged into his home and for not being able to properly help. 

Outside the bedroom door did not smell like bacon, eggs, and toast. In fact, now that Sportacus thought about the dream, he’d thought of Robbie as his boyfriend, hadn’t he? God, his crush was only getting more and more out of hand with each passing day. This wasn’t the first time he’d dreamed about Robbie. He flushed involuntarily. Sport continued to look throughout the house in an attempt to ignore it.

Residing in the livingroom of the not-always-immaculate house, Sportacus found Robbie half asleep on his couch. At the sight of the elf, awake, Robbie blinked groggily. He sat up, grunted a hello, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. 

Sportacus internally gasped at the beautiful sight of Robbie, hair disheveled; a gorgeous morning angel. It was too easy to imagine that he’d woken up beside Robbie. Too easy to imagine that they shared a bed together, shared a house, _shared a life together_. Sportacus bit his lip and banished the thought away. 

“You’re up...expected you at seven this morning.”

“I was so tired, I guess I just slept in. What...time is it now?”

Robbie pointed at the clock on the wall opposite of him, behind Sportacus. “Around nine-thirty. Oh don’t look so panicked, it’s still rather early in the morning. The kids aren’t in school, it’s Saturday, so I’m guessing they’ll be expecting you sooner or later.” He finished with a sniff and a shrug, body movements nonchalant and drowsy.

“Oh, okay...Well, I’d like to formally apologize about last night. It was late, I was extremely tired, and I couldn’t help you properly. It’s really an excuse, and unacceptable.” Robbie tried to speak up but Sportacus shushed him. “It is _unacceptable_ that I could not help you and I am sorry. Next time you’re in trouble I promise that it will _not_ happen again.” 

Robbie just... blinked at him. Sportacus shifted under his gaze and tensed at his exasperated sigh.

“Listen, Sportakook, it’s alright. It’s whatever, I don’t really care. I know you do, but...it’s fine, really. It probably won’t happen again, but thank you for trying. It means… something, I guess.” The former villain shrugged again. Sportacus could swear that Robbie was blushing, trying to look anywhere but his eyes. 

“You’re welcome. I’ll...uh...I’ll go..grab my things and get out of your hair. Bye, Robbie…” Sportacus rubbed the back of his neck and waved goodbye. In that moment he took the few seconds he had to memorize the stunning look of Robbie, wavy hair loose and framing his face, the few freckles that dotted his cheeks, and the innocent look the man still wore. Sportacus turned and was almost halfway down the hallway when Robbie called his name. 

“Sportacus, wait! Fuck, um, stay for breakfast. It’s still too early for anyone to get into trouble and need you. I actually have some fruits and other non-sugary foods, so...”

“Wait, you want me to stay? You have actual food?” The first question was in disbelief, the second was more teasing. Robbie might have been blushing but Sport couldn’t tell, his cheeks were still red from earlier. Again, the man seemed to looked everywhere but at Sportacus. 

“Yes, I do, and again, yes, I do. You can even shower if you need to. As for the food, Bessie keeps bringing me crates of extras from her garden. They taste good in my sweets so I haven’t stopped her yet.” 

Sportacus nodded, his mouth a small ‘o’. Eventually he found words again, politely thanking Robbie and moving to the other room to sit at the small kitchen table neatly tucked into the corner. Robbie was moving around the kitchen, grabbing ingredients and setting them on the small island. Sportacus simply looked out the window, watching the trees shake with the wind.

“Okay, so here’s what I have. I don’t know where the oats came from, but maybe you can have some porridge or something? I have fruits that we can use for smoothies, eggs-”

“Eggs! I- uh- I’d really like some eggs..” Sportacus coughed. Robbie stared almost dumbly at him for a minute before clapping his hands and nodding, scurrying about to put foods back and get others out. Sportacus bit his inner cheek and blurted, “Keep the fruits out? I can make us some smoothies while you make eggs. I’ll be sure to put sugar in yours.”

The thought of a fruit smoothie wasn’t very appealing to Robbie. It made his jaw ache just at the thought of it. But, _but_ , anything with sugar was game. Robbie thought the proposal over while applying cooking spray to a pan. “Yeah, go ahead. Be careful with the sugar though, I don’t need a passed out elf on my floor.” 

Sportacus chuckled at his remark but no further were words exchanged. The only sound was the blender and the cooking eggs. It left Robbie to his own devices, brain awake and thoughts running. Sportacus, it reminded, was in his house. Slept in his bed. _Was making breakfast with him_. God, if this didn’t sound like a fairytale then Robbie wasn’t sure what else to call it. One of his fantasies? A daydream? Whatever it was, it gave him a butterfly feeling in his stomach. Just being so close to Sportacus, working beside him...Robbie was glad he stood at the stove, so Sportacus couldn’t see his obvious, ever deepening blushing. 

On the other side of the kitchen, Lazytown’s hero was nervously finishing up two fruit smoothies. This was so similar to his dream just minutes before. Breakfast with Robbie (just the two of them!), scrambled eggs (Robbie didn’t have any bacon. He did have bread, but smoothies were a bigger priority), and even better: _no tea kettle._ Why, if he was lucky, everyone would enjoy their Saturday morning the right way and not get into trouble so he could enjoy a breakfast with Crush #1: Robbie Rotten.

The smoothies were finally done. Sportacus smiled and set both cups on the table. While Robbie continued to stir the forming egg scrambles Sportacus began to set the table, reminding him of that almost perfect dream. His earlier blush dusted his ear tips just as deep as his cheeks. To occupy himself Sportacus grabbed bread and butter for toast. Robbie noticed and grunted a thank you. 

“You’re welcome, Robbie…” Sport mumbled. He leaned against the counter, leg bouncing nervously under him. Since getting up he hadn’t done anything too active; sooner or later he’d burst due to pent up energy. He tried to ignore the itch and contented himself to memorizing Robbie’s back.

Everything about Robbie could be described as tense. Sport squinted his eyes, practically imaging the strained muscle under his bony frame. It took a lot of self control to keep his hands to himself and not give Robbie a massage. His shoulders and shoulder blades awkwardly stuck out, his back expansive and straight. Those tempting hips were wide, a stark comparison to his angular upper body. Thicker thighs accompanied long legs. Robbie Rotten was 90% leg and Sportacus loved all of it.

Looking at Robbie, the elf realized that his ears and neck were a deep red. Was he blushing? What was he thinking about? Probably best not to dwell on it; Robbie was standing in front of the stove, he was probably just uncomfortable from the heat.

Sportacus uncharacteristically jolted when the toast popped up. His elbow almost hit the toaster and Robbie turned around to give him a questioning look. He simply waved him off and got to work, aware of the heavy air that’d settled around them.

After what seemed like forever, Robbie spoke up. “The eggs are done. You can set the plate of toast on the table when you’re done.”

Sportacus nodded and did as was told. He took his seat beside the window once more as Robbie distributed their protein filled breakfast. A startling difference in the amount of eggs on their plates caught Sport’s attention; more distinctly on his and less on Robbie’s.

“Are you sure you don’t want more? I don’t want to hog them or seem rude.” Robbie raised an eyebrow quizzically before shaking his head.

“No, I’m good. Too much steam irritates me.” When silence relapsed on Sportacus’ side of the conversation he sighed. “Remember the fire? And how I was in the hospital for quite a while? Well, yeah, I’m better now, but sometimes steam, dusts, or pollutants irritate me. I’m fine, by the way, so don’t worry about it.” 

Sportacus finally seemed to comprehend what had been said as he took a sizable bite out of his toast. He swallowed and eagerly nodded his understanding. “I do remember, and I understand now. Thank you for telling me! But….”

“But what?” Robbie asked. A quarter of his eggs were already gone, the toast beginning to get it’s share of attention. 

“Well...how’d you cope with the construction?”

“Construction? Sportacus, they’re building the new suburbs on the other side of town.” 

“You’re not wrong, but there’s so much dirt and dust in the air! I’ve noticed it from the ballpark, which really isn’t that far away from here. Besides, Lazytown is a small place! It doesn’t take long for the dust to get over here. Surely you’re irritated by it?” Sportacus waited for Robbie to respond, the two of them sipping their respective smoothies in thought.

“I could lie, but I’m not in the mood to. I try to stay indoors on days when I can hear them working, or out near my old bunker. It’s quieter, and the air’s a little cleaner. I use illusion spells when I’m in town square; don’t need people mocking or looking down on me for it.” 

Alarms seemed to ring out between the two men as Sportacus sat up straighter. His elf ears were pointed so straight that Robbie was worried they’d fall off. Wait- elf ears? He was an _actual elf?_

“Robbie! No one’s going to mock you or hurt you for it, if anything they’d be worried. It’s not bad for them to be either, it’s a normal reaction to be worried. I’m not going to ask how you even know illusion spells, but-”

“Nonono, wait, you’re an actual elf?” Sportacus froze, a hand reaching up to grip his hat that wasn’t there. Words died in his throat while his entire face became beet red. It must have fallen off in his sleep, since Sportacus couldn’t remember seeing it on the clothes pile on the bed. 

“Why are you blushing? It’s not bad, but….I always called you ‘blue elf’ coincidentally. I didn’t think you were an actual elf...” To shut himself up, Robbie contented to shoving his mouth with toast. Great, he’d ruined Sportacus. He was quiet with anxiety and had stopped fidgeting. Sportacus, for once, was completely still. _Still._

“Well...I am an ‘ _actual elf_ ’...you don’t hate me for it, do you?” 

The question was loaded with so much insecurity that it threw Robbie off. Truthfully, he should have expected it. Why else did Sportacus hide his ears? Most elves tried to distance themselves from the old myths that still persisted through the generations.

“No, I don’t. Your ears don’t define you, Sportacus. You’ve been nothing but….helpful…since you’ve arrived in Lazytown. Everybody loves you. Don’t worry about it.” Sportacus nodded. 

“You won’t tell the kids, or anybody else?” Robbie shook his head and Sportacus relaxed into his chair. He smiled thankfully and ate his eggs in silence, leaving Robbie to stew anxiously in his thoughts. 

“I’ve made up my mind.” Sportacus suddenly declared. They’d eaten for about two minutes quietly prior. He set his fork down and grinned at Robbie; that one stunning grin that left him with butterflies in his stomach. 

“On….? Mind elaborating?”

“I’m going to befriend you!” He said this confidently while Robbie raised an eyebrow comically into his hairline.

“You’re saying this as you eat breakfast in my house?”

“Does this mean that we’re friends?”

“I don’t know, does it? Typically we’re at different ends of the spectrum. The hero and the villain.” 

“Yet the villain offered the hero housing for the night and breakfast. Besides, you haven’t done anything mischievous since the fire. Robbie...you still view yourself a villain?” Sportacus frowned, cocking his head in that puppy dog-like way. He wasn’t mocking Robbie, though it may have looked like it, but he was merely curious. Robbie shrugged and leaned back into his chair.

“That’s the only dynamic we’ve ever had. Villainy is _sort of_ in my family too. Either way, I’m the complete opposite of you.” He rubbed behind his ear inelegantly and looked out the window. Sportacus pulled his brows together in worry. 

“How about we make a new one? I’ve always considered you a friend, Robbie. I know you aren’t very...fond of me, but...maybe we can make something work?” He extended a hand across the table, a formal greeting. Robbie squinted and eyed the calloused hand distrustfully. However, after a moment, he let out an exasperated sigh and grabbed Sportacus’ fingertips, shaking as though he were sick and infectious. There was a slight shake to his breathing that he couldn’t quite hide.

“There. I shook. Now finish eating.” Sportacus beamed and did as was told. Robbie stared out the window, cheeks still hot. He didn’t notice when Sportacus finished and left the table to dress, or put their dishes in the sink. He did notice, however, the quick tackle-hug Sportacus gave him before bounding for the front door.

“Thank you Robbie, for last night and breakfast! I’ll be the best friend you’ve ever had! I’ve got to go now, the kids are outside and looking for me. I’ll drop by later though, so bye Robbie!”

He didn’t even have time to see the blur of blue before Sportacus was out of his house. Robbie felt his temperature raise as all of his blood rushed to his face. A groan escaped him while his hands dragged down his cheeks.

“ _God_ , what have I gotten myself into…?” The question was answered with silence throughout the tiny house. Robbie watched Sportacus from the window just a few moments longer before getting up to start the day. He’d have to do it sooner or later, especially since he’d just agreed to make friends with his crush and most active person in Lazytown.

Despite the persistent thought of doom in the forefront of his mind, Robbie smiled at the warmth in his heart. Maybe he’d finally feel okay. He allowed his smile to widen, just the tiniest bit, and got ready to work. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoooo!!! This chapter was a doozy to edit, and I'm finally happy with how it came out! The next chapter was my favorite to write so far, so hopefully it'll be really good. That should be up on Saturday or Sunday, depending on how much homework gets unloaded on me because of our two snow days this week.
> 
> Thank you for reading, enjoy the rest of your day/night!


	5. Chapter Four

As per his word, Sportacus returned later that day. Around three, well after Robbie could hear the construction crew, he heard two strong knocks on his front door. At first he was confused. No one really ever came over, except Bessie to drop off extra foods from her garden, but it wasn’t Wednesday so it couldn’t have been, and Trixie wasn’t coming over until Monday. It then occurred to him that it was Sportacus and he groaned. He went and opened the door. 

“You came back.”

“I did! The kids split up and decided to go hang out by themselves. I thought I’d drop by and see you.” Robbie grunted an acknowledgement and ushered the elf in. While Sportacus finally took time to survey the decor in his home, Robbie went back to his sewing machine. A project sat half-finished, waiting for him.

“What are you working on?”

“I _should_ be working on the skirt that Stephanie commissioned me for, but she doesn’t need that until the spring. Instead I’m working on a new dress for my niece, her birthday is around the corner.”

“Well it looks lovely so far!” Sportacus chirped. He watched as Robbie meticulously went back to work. He didn’t mind watching, or waiting for him to be done. It seemed as though Robbie was only trying to finish up the section he was on before swiveling around in his chair and watching Sportacus do push-ups. 

“You’re probably going to stick around. There isn’t anything I could get done with you gone, so I really don’t mind that you stay, I guess.” Robbie shrugged and leaned back in the chair. “Is there….. anything that you want to do? As long as it doesn’t involve exercise, I’m fine, I guess.”

Sportacus did that flashy spin as he pushed up from the floor to his full height. He blinked in thought before pointing at Robbie. “Have you eaten lunch today?”

“Hm? No, too busy working. Why? Haven’t you?”

“No, I haven’t. The kids ate while I was off saving the mayor. How about we go on a picnic?” Sportacus held up a hand when Robbie tried to speak over him, the two men spouting gibberish in attempts to speak first. 

“Sportaflop- Sport- _Sportacus_. I don’t think so, the construction crew are out. The air will be _filled_ with irritants. I’m not in the mood to hack what’s left of my sensitive lungs out.” 

“Robbie, I know that! I was going to say that we should have it out by the tree near your old bunker. You mentioned earlier that the air other there is cleaner, right? It’d be a nice way to get clean air and relax!” 

Robbie simply blinked at Sportacus. He seemed to be in a state of simple thought, weighing the pros and cons of agreeing to Sport’s idea. Finally, he groaned and waved his hand in defeat. “Fine, fine, we’ll do the picnic. There isn’t anything better for us to do, and I’m tired of working. You can pack the food while I find a blanket and basket. You better put some sweets in there for me, so help me God, Sportacus-”

“Yes! Thank you Robbie, I promise you won’t regret it! Don’t worry about the food, I’ll pack sportscandy for me and some sweets for you.” Robbie flushed under a bright grin and flinched as Sportacus zipped through his house to the kitchen. He merely grunted and went rummaging in his closet for a suitable blanket and picnic basket. 

**\--------**

Fifteen minutes later, Robbie found himself walking up the hill besides an over-active flipping sports elf. He had a white hospital mask now loosely hanging around his neck. Robbie couldn’t help but find the trek up the hill just as tiring as the night before, Sportacus standing excitedly at the top of the hill already.

“The air’s so clean out here! Isn’t it nice, Robbie?”

“Very...very nice...Come take the basket. Since you’re so energetic, you can set everything up.” Sportacus frowned in concern and swiped the basket. He also helped Robbie up the hill the rest of the way, for which he was granted a few hits to the arm and hisses of ‘Stop’, ‘Go away’, and ‘Get off of me!’. The elf kept an eye on Robbie while he spread out the blanket and took out the food, mother-hen type of concern etched into his features while Robbie panted for breath against the tree. 

“Everything’s set up. Come sit down, drink some water. You’ll feel better.” 

Sport offered a water bottle to Robbie, condensation dripping off the bottom. Robbie tottered forward and took the water, taking a sip immediately. Sportacus started to take their food out, setting the small array around the basket.

“What do you want? I packed a few sandwiches, I have fruit but I doubt you’ll eat them, there’s some cookies that I found, and a few slices of cake.” The elf looked up and waited patiently. Robbie wiped his mouth and pointedly took the cookies. He wasn’t hungry enough for anything else. Sportacus grabbed an apple and contented himself to that.

They ate in silence. Robbie considered it odd. While neither were truly talkative, extroverted types, he felt almost inclined to start a conversation. It wasn’t a forced feeling either, which was completely new. He nibbled at a cookie and furrowed his brows. After a few minutes, a quick glance at Sportacus had him scoffing.

“No, there’s no way that three bites of a freaking apple contents itself as ‘lunch’. Either you eat the whole thing or I’ll make you!”

Sportacus laughed from his side of the blanket. The back of his hand covered his mouth, an almost-discarded apple tightly gripped in the other. The corners of his eyes were crinkled. Robbie wasn’t sure whether to be disturbed or comforted that he noticed this fact. 

“Robbie! That was so unlike you! Since when do you care about my eating habits?”

“ _I don’t_. It just pisses me off that you think three bites somehow equals a meal.” 

Sportacus simply laughed again, eating his apple until it was just the core. Robbie barely finished his cookies, and afterwards placated himself to laying on the blanket. It was bright outside, an arm over his eyes, despite them being in the tree shade. For once, Sportacus found he didn’t mind sitting still. He laid beside Robbie, thoughts racing while looking at clouds. 

To him, Robbie was such a mystery. They’d known each other for almost four years, but he didn’t know anything more than basic information. It was a pity, since Robbie haunted his day dreams and was often the center of his thoughts recently. Sportacus thinned his lips in thought.

Was there any way that Robbie would voluntarily give information about himself? He rarely talking about himself, and even more rarely was he in a long enough conversation to even give out theoretical information. Sportacus’ fingers tapped on the blanket quickly before he sat up abruptly. Robbie startled beside him.

“What- why- why are you sitting up so fast?”

“I just got an idea! How about we play a game of truth or dare?” Robbie wrinkled his nose, muttering the game name over as he looked at Sport ludicrously. 

“Why would we play that game? It’s just for kids to ask embarrassing questions and subtly harass their ‘ _friends_ ’.” 

“No, we don’t have to do it like that, Robbie. We can just ask simple questions that we have to answer truthfully. Besides, it’s a good way to get to know each other and have fun! We’ve known each other for so long but neither of us know that much about the other. Not to mention, it gives you a chance to keep me active so I can’t disturb you,” Sportacus pointed out. This seemed to get Robbie’s attention, who suddenly looked as though he was scheming. 

“Fine. Let’s play. You go first though. Truth or dare?”

“Truth!” Sportacus grinned at Robbie’s frown. Obviously, he’d hoped the elf would pick dare so he could make him do something and shut up. Instead, he sighed and rolled his head back. Sport stared at his _enticing neck_ , almost missing Robbie’s question.

“Is it true that the rest of the numbered heros are related to you?” The question seemed to be asked with to caution, to which Sportacus kept his answer short.

“Yes, I come from a line of heros. The last one before me was my dad, Íþróttaálfurinn, Number Nine.” When Robbie flinched he scooted closer. “Robbie? Are you okay? Did I say something to hurt you?”

“N-...no, you’re fine. Just can’t believe you’re related to that asshole.” 

“Wh- Robbie, did you know my dad?” Sportacus furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. At the exasperated look he was given he felt his face flush. “Thats right, you’ve never lived anywhere other than Lazytown before, sorry. Let me rephrase that, did my dad do anything to you?”

“....It doesn’t matter. Story for later, or whatever. Your turn to ask.” The gruff response had the elf flinching but he backed off. Obviously Robbie wasn’t overly fond of his father and he wasn’t going to push the subject. Instead, he focused on the game.

“Truth or dare?”

“Truth.”

“Alright, well do you _really_ not know the kids’ names? You always say something close to them, but you never quite get it right.” 

Robbie, who’d laid back down and covered his eyes, chortled. His grin was visible from under his arm. “Of course I know their names. It’s just too easy to get a rise out of them by pretending I don’t. Truth or dare?”

“Dare. I’ll be the first to break the streak.” A smug grin graced his features and Robbie absolutely _grinned_.

“I dare you to do a thousand jumping jacks, _and_ to be quiet while you do them.” If he’d’ve looked, Robbie would have witnessed a big pout from the elf. But, the hero he was, Sportacus complied completely and quietly did a thousand jumping jacks. 

Robbie quickly found the sound of Sportacus’s footfalls in the grass rhythmically soothing. His legs were crossed, ankle bouncing in time with what he heard. He was almost asleep, truthfully, by the time Sportacus finished. The elf did around three thousand jumping jacks a day, so one thousand was simply child’s play. 

“Robbie, I’m done!” Sportacus held back a giggle when Robbie jolted out of his half-asleep reverie. The man trained an unimpressed glare at the elf before lowering the arm back down onto his face. 

“Truth or dare, Robbie?”

“Truth.” Sportacus smiled as he sat down, “You won’t choose dare?”

“No, because then you’ll dare me to eat sportascandy or something, _eugh_.” He laughed again at Robbie’s overdramatics. “Okay, okay! Uhhhhh….just because I’m curious, do you still make inventions for a living?”

“No, I don’t. Working will all the metal, steam, heat, and other chemicals really irritated me. I pay the taxes for the house through tailoring commissions. If my lungs work less like shit in the next few years, then maybe I’ll start to invent again.” He left out the part about missing inventing, but that wasn’t important. 

Sportacus smiled from his side of the blanket. He reached for another apple and made sure to finish it, answering and asking questions around mouthfuls. Robbie couldn’t help but laugh every once in awhile, causing Sportacus to beam even brighter and get all fidgety. Robbie tended to do that to him, but it was a good fidget. More than once he had to stop himself from purring at the sound of beautiful laughter. 

The game of truth or dare lasted until dusk. They only stopped once it started to get dark out and street lamps were beginning to turn on in the distance. Sportacus stood up, feeling accomplished and, oddly, sated. He learned a lot from Robbie and even got him to promise from a dare that he’d eat a chocolate covered strawberry. So close to plain sportscandy, yet so far away. 

Between the two of them, some of what Sportacus found out about Robbie was that he liked to make origami, detested cotton candy, and rarely did stretches to help himself sleep. In turn, Robbie found out that Sportacus didn’t eat meat as often as he should, knitted in his spare time, and could play elven pipes very well. To add on, he also discovered that the elf could do five thousand push ups under the span of forty-five minutes, including a seven minute break. 

By the time the two were getting back into town the children were beginning to go in. The construction crews were only just stopping, so Robbie pulled his mask back on just outside of town. Sportacus almost dropped the basket and blankets when elementary schoolers crowded him.

“Whoa, whoa, hello guys! You must have been good today; my crystal didn’t go off once after lunch!” 

“Yeah, we, uh, we stayed inside and learned how to dance with Stephanie!” One young boy said. Robbie hung back, but he found the kid reminded him of Ziggy from a few years ago. He smiled from behind the mask.

“Uh, Mr. Sportacus, who’s that?” Asked a young hispanic girl. Robbie flinched a little, but only Sportacus saw. Before he could respond, however, someone from the back spoke up.

“That’s Robbie Rotten. He’s a pretty cool guy. You know, he used to be the villain of Lazytown!” 

A chorus of ‘villain?!’ and ‘No way!’s rang out from the children. Robbie merely frowned at Trixie, age eleven, from the back of the group. Sportacus hushed the children after a moment of rapid-shot questions.

“Kids, kids! We can’t understand all of you at once! One at a time, please. Nate, you first please?”

Nate, a brown haired boy about the age of seven, squared his eyes with Robbie’s. “Were you really the villain?”

“Yes,” Robbie grunted. He winced as the screaming questions started again. Sportacus and Trixie shushed them. Next went Susie, who asked, “Why aren’t you a villain anymore?”

“None of your business. But if you _have_ to know, it’s because of health reasons.” 

“Did the laziness finally catch up to ya?” Trixie teased. Robbie knew she didn’t mean it, since she stopped by fairly often and knew about his lung issues. Instead, he scoffed at her and held his covered nose high. 

“Did Sportacus beat you?”

“How come I’ve never heard of you before?”

“Why don’t we see you around town?”

“Are you retired now?”

Robbie practically gagged under his masked. Such curious, _nosy_ , little brats. He didn’t blame them, they were all new residents in town. Still, their noisiness caused him to cringe and shift away.

“No; because you’re deaf; because I don’t like to go outside; and yes, I’m retired. Now go away, it’s getting dark and you’re not supposed to be out! Shoo, shoo!” Robbie waved the group of kids off, some of them giggled and ran screaming in joy while others grouchily snuck away. Trixie snorted from her place beside Sportacus.

“Grouchy old man.”

“Arrogant hooligan.” Trixie smiled and looked between the two of them. 

“So, what were you two up to today?”

Her question was met with conflicting answers of “Nothing.” and “Playing truth or dare!”. Trixie snickered. “So what, are you two friends now?”

“Yes!”

“No.” She snorted and landed a playful punch to Robbie’s arm. He grunted in acknowledgement. “Alright you two, no more sneaking off! Only hand holding, nothing below the waist-”

“Trixie!” Sportacus squeaked. She laughed while Robbie fixed her with an embarrassed stare. “Beatrice Troubly! That is absolutely _not_ what is happening here!”

“Hahahaha! Okay, ‘Dad’, whatever you say. I’ve got an eye on you two! Night lovebirds!” Trixie hugged the two sputtering adults good-bye and raced for her home. Robbie stood stiffly while Sportacus spared him a glance.

“Uh...that was...something...Sorry about that, I didn’t think the kids were still out.” 

“...’s not your fault. Come on, let’s just get the basket and blanket back to my house.” The walk back ended up being less amicable, more flustered. Sportacus handed over the basket and blanket at Robbie’s front door, his face still beet red.

“Thank you for agreeing to the picnic, Robbie. I had fun. I’ll probably see you tomorrow, so bye for now.” He gave a small wave, of which Robbie barely returned, before racing for town square. Robbie watched the sight of a ladder falling and a figure flawlessly climbing up, just barely visible in the darkening light from his front porch.

He went inside and set everything down, only to clutch at his chest and exhale roughly. Despite the rush of anxiety from the children and Trixie, a smile was etched onto his face. Robbie went to bed that night with hopes for more truth or dare and the term lovebirds the last thing he thought of. For once, he slept easily. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a school night but I had everything edited so I stayed up a little later to get this up. The next chapter should be up either Wednesday or Thursday, I'm running out of pre-written material to edit. I'll probably take a day or two to write more before I start to edit again.
> 
> On a side note, this has been my favorite chapter so far! They're so cute, their little dynamic. And yeah, they play truth or dare differently. Just simple questions with the requirement of honest answers :P
> 
> Anywho, thank you for reading! Enjoy your day/night.


	6. Chapter Five

It was a bad day, a very bad day. Robbie wasn’t exactly sure _why_ , but it just _was_. His mood was irritable and swinging faster than Ziggy on the swingsets. He felt bone tired and his lungs felt shallow and sore. When Robbie grumbled about this to Sportacus the elf nearly flipped.

“Sit down! Sit down! I’ll get you some water. Dare I say it, you’re doing nothing but resting today!” Sportacus squeaked as he ran around the house. Robbie raised an eyebrow from his spot on the couch.

“Sportacus, I’m not going to die. I just haven’t slept in a few days-”

“How many???” Asked Sportacus, blankets piled in his arms, his eyes locked, a deadly glint within them, with Robbie’s. Suddenly, Robbie found himself reluctant to tell. “......Three days?”

“ _Lay down!_ ” Sportacus hissed. Robbie found himself forcefully pushed back onto his couch, blankets shoved on his chest. Through the pile he could hear Sportacus rummaging for a cup in the kitchen, undoubtedly getting him water. Robbie sputtered indignantly and shoved the blankets off of himself.

“Sportacus! Get your ass in here and calm the fuck down! Stop your mother henning, we’re both grown ass men. I’ve managed on my own fine. And stop going through my cupboards, _please_ , I just organized everything!” 

After a minute of silence, an annoyed elf peeked his head into the living room. His eyes were squinted, hat half off and right ear exposed. 

“If you lay down and let me take care of you, you’d feel less tired and grumpy. I’m trying to help you, Robbie.”

“You’d be _helping me_ if you calmed down. I’ve had it worse before.”

“How much worse?” Sport tutted. 

Robbie cackled, “You don’t even want to know. If I told you, then I think you’d have a heart attack.” Sportacus narrowed his eyes further. Finally, he stepped into the living room and offered Robbie his water.

He sat down and snuggled into the blankets, eyes squinted as he regarded Robbie. Said man sipped his water, looking his elf friend quizzically in return. Robbie gave up first, setting his drink down and walking towards his sewing station.

“You want to help me? Then help me perfect some measurements. It’ll calm me down, distract me. Come on, up with you.” He motioned for Sportacus to stand up while looking through his half-started pile. Sport rolled his eyes but did as told, only to ‘help’ Robbie.

The clothes Robbie gave him were mainly loose. They’d originally been on the mannequin in the corner of the room but’d been taken off in favor of other projects. Thus, the sleeves hung around his arms, the vest he wore over his shirt opened and a size too large. Robbie walked over with a pin cushion and measuring tape around his neck. Sportacus jumped on the balls of his heels before he settled himself down.

“Keep me distracted. Truth or dare?”

“Truth,” Robbie muttered, a pin between his teeth while regarding one sleeve. 

Sportacus tilted his head. “Do you have any siblings?”

“Yes, four brothers. One older, three younger.” Sportacus blinked in surprise. He expected Robbie to say only one, for he knew that he had at least one to have a niece. “Mind if I asked their names?”

Robbie pinned down a measurement and spoke while looking for a new pin. “My older brother’s name is Glanni. The Boys, that’s what we’ve always called them, are named Robert, Tobias, and Florence. You’ve met them before; Bobby, Tobby, and Flobby.” 

“Oh, yeah! Wait, their names are Robert, Tobias, and Florence? I thought your name was Robert. What is it then?”

Robbie chuckled tiredly from behind Sportacus’ shoulder. Despite the slightly grumpy edge to his answers, Sport could tell that he was smiling and enjoying himself. “My father chose Glanni’s name. My mother chose mine, Robin, and they had a hard time with the boys’. Robert was chosen by my dad, Florence by mother, and they compromised at Tobias’.”

Sportacus gave a soft awe. He turned his head, careful to keep his upper body straight. “Your name is Robin? That’s so sweet! Can I call you it, or do you prefer Robbie?”

Robbie kept quiet for a minute, a new pin now held between his teeth as he pinned a frisky corner. Eventually, after holding Sportacus’ arm up for a few awkward moments, he spoke up again. “You can call me Robin, but please not in public. I’d prefer that not a lot of people know my real name.”

Sportacus nodded and quieted down again respectfully. He’d noticed that between the two of them their conversations tended to have bursts of silence, amicable nonetheless. And, throughout the month that they’d started to hang out, Sportacus realized just how comfortable Robbie was becoming with him.

For one, Robbie told him his real name. A few months ago he would have refused to hold a conversation with him, much less tell him his name and have him model his half-finished clothes for measurements. They played truth or dare constantly and it was amazing just how much information Sportacus knew about him. 

A half-purr escaped Sportacus, to which Robbie only asked if he was comfortable. Sportacus shook his head teasingly and returned to his thoughts.

Something was off with their relationship, though. For as much as Sportacus thought about it he couldn’t pin what was wrong. It certainly wasn’t Robbie’s fault. With every bout of silence that enacted in their conversations, Sportacus always noticed the blush that Robbie wore. It couldn’t’ve been from him, Robbie was ‘comfortable’ with him but for sure didn’t ‘like’ him (or at least in anyway that counted). Whatever was wrong had to have been something that Sportacus was unconsciously doing. 

Perhaps it was purely because their friendship was in it’s beginning phases. Neither of them were the most comfortable with the other, and their interests differed drastically. Until they managed to accept and meet in the middle then the feeling of wrongness would probably continue to exist. The realization brought a long sigh from Sportacus, his left leg bouncing in silent agitation and restlessness.

“You’re fidgeting again. Also your ears are twitching; stop thinking so hard. As much as I appreciate that you do have a brain in that jock body of yours, I don’t need you working it _too_ hard. Truth or dare?”

“Truth, please.”

“Is it true that you can eat natural sugars?” 

Sportacus nodded quickly in his stiff position. Robbie tapped his left shoulder, letting him know that he was done with that side. He relaxed. “It’s true! I can eat honey, fruits, milk products, and vegetables. They all contain natural sugars, which my body can process. I can’t eat your processed sugar, though. Sends me into a sugar meltdown.” 

Robbie hummed against the metal pin in his mouth. His measuring tape was against Sportacus’ side, under his armpit. He took the loose fabric and pinned a section, almost catching Sportacus’ cotton shirt beneath it. He stood up from his bent position and stretched, ignoring the popping sounds from his back.

“There. How does it feel now? Too tight? Too loose?”

“It feels a little too tight on my left shoulder, but other than that it feels good! Why’d you ask me to model, though? There’s not many people in town that match my sizes.” 

“Figured I might as well get a head start for any new customers in the future. Besides, I think Stingy is somewhere around your size range, or at least he should be in a few years. It’ll be a good reference point.” Robbie remarked. He was looking at the pins again, note pad in hand and writing down numbers for different body parts. Sportacus leaned over and watched his curly handwriting. 

“Can I take it off now?” Sportacus queried. Robbie looked up and nodded quickly, throwing the note pad and pen towards his station restlessly. 

“Yes, yes, go ahead. Be careful, don’t mess with the pins. Just set it down by my sewing machine.” 

After shimming off the jacket, Robbie handed him another article. This time it was long sleeve shirt. Robbie went through the same process as before, the two of them occasionally asking truth or dare. After the shirt was properly pinned Robbie handed him what Sportacus could only think of as a matching jacket, meant to be worn with the shirt. He shrugged it on, careful of the pins near his sides, and stood still for Robbie. This process continued again with a dress shirt, a regular t-shirt, and even pants. 

By the time they were done and Sportacus had his jacket back on, Robbie had found his way into the kitchen. Sportacus leaned on the counter and watched his friend scuttle around hurriedly. Glancing at the calendar on the fridge confirmed his suspicions.

It was Friday night, meaning that Trixie was coming over. Sometimes she brought Stingy, usually in new clothes that didn’t smell like his cologne, that way Robbie’s lungs wouldn’t become upset. 

From Trixie’s retelling, apparently Stingy’s cologne irritated them, but the older man was too stubborn to tell him so. Trixie got tired of him suffering and had fought Stingy on changing one day, which led to her telling him, and now whenever he came over Stingy made sure it was in washed, clean, cologne free clothes. It was a nice gesture on his part towards Robbie. 

“Is Trixie staying for dinner tonight?” Sportacus asked. Robbie had started chopping potatoes and carrots by the sink, nodding solemnly to the elf’s question. “....Yes, she’s staying to eat. Stingy might come over, but I’m not sure. His parents are back in town and you know how they are.” 

Sportacus snorted, nodding his absolute agreement. “Oh trust me, I know exactly what you mean. The Spendthrifts can be quite…..difficult.”

“Ha! That’s a word for it.” 

“I don’t...agree with their way for raising him. Stingy is so different from his parents, and I can see how it affects him. I’m glad that I’ve known him for so long, I can tell when some things are up, but not everything. My crystal doesn’t always pick up every little thing.” He stopped to flick the casing, the crystal gently humming its discomfort. Sportacus grumbled at it in response while Robbie snickered at the endeavour. 

“Careful, it’ll go off on you.” Sportacus huffed beside him before moving around to help get dinner ready, to ease some stress from Robbie’s workload. 

“Hey, stay over.” Robbie suddenly blurted. He didn’t look at Sportacus as he said it but Sport caught the side-eye he was given afterwards. “I need someone to help me when they argue, which they might if Stingy stays. But even if he doesn’t, eat a little so I don’t have leftovers.” 

Sportacus pretended to think it over, despite both men knowing exactly what his answer would be. Robbie shot him another look, his eyebrow arched comically. Sportacus looked over and laughed, nodding his affirmative. “Yes, yes, I’ll stay! Thank you for asking me, I appreciate it. Eating dinner on the airship can get a bit lonely.” 

“Well I wouldn’t doubt,” Robbie grumbled. He scrapped the chopped veggies over to Sportacus, who prepared them properly. Afterwards, the elf stepped back as Robbie made rice and chicken, shoving the food in the oven and setting a timer.

The sky outside draped purple over a setting orange sun. Sportacus purred softly; the sight reminded him of home. Robbie clapped him on the back, a silent question asked. 

“I’m happy,” Sportacus smiled. He saw Robbie smile back through the last reflections of the window before turning around to clean up his kitchen. Sportacus helped before going out to the living room and counting out his push-ups.

**\--------**

If it wasn’t obvious by the sounds of bickering teenagers that Trixie and Stingy had arrived, it most certainly was when Sportacus was tackled. He could hear Stingy scolding Trixie from behind while she laughed over his shoulder.

“Trixie! You can’t just tackle people like that!”

“Hahaha! Too late Stinge, I already did it! Besides, it’s Sportacus, he’d be fine either way. Too strong to be hurt by the likes of me- _yet!_ ” Trixie emphasized this by sitting up and squaring her arms, showing off the developing muscles on her biceps. 

Sportacus laughed and gingerly sat himself up. “Hello Stingy...Trixie.” He grinned and winked at her. Robbie chose this moment to walk in, face blank at the sight of Trixie on his floor.

“....Please try not to break my Blue Kangaroo.” 

“ _Your_ Blue Kangaroo?” Stingy scoffed, pushing a piece of dark hair out of his face.

“What did I tell you, nothing below the belt!” Trixie hissed, looking at Robbie with a wild, teasing look in her eye. Robbie growled, disturbed and subtly annoyed, and swiftly turned back into the kitchen. 

“That is _not_ what is happening and you need to get off my floor and sit down at the table. You too, elf.” Sportacus stopped at the name, but then remembered that it was a nickname before Robbie even knew he was one. In an attempt to pass it off as casual he clapped Stingy on the back and guided him to the dinner table.

“Hello Stingy, it’s good to see you again,” Robbie hummed. He was still awkward around the eleven year old, yet he had an almost fatherly feeling towards him. It was an odd emotion, especially since Robbie couldn’t seem to place _when_ it’d started. 

“Hello Mister Rotten. It’s good to see you again, too. Thank you for having me for dinner, I greatly appreciate it.” Sportacus cringed from behind. The words sounded so rehearsed. Robbie, too, realized this and shook his head with a grimace. 

Dinner was out of the oven and had cooled appropriately. Robbie dished out chicken and rice to each child, along with a smaller side of veggies. Stingy accepted his plate with a simple thank you and waited for everyone else to get their plate, while Trixie started to eat her’s right away. Sportacus smiled at their differences.

Robbie passed a plate to Sportacus, who sat besides Trixie. Both children raised their eyebrows, not exactly expecting Sportacus to stay. Sure, the two men were ‘hanging’ out, but since when did Sportacus and Robbie Rotten, truly, _ever_ get along?

“Uh, is Sportacus _actually_ staying for dinner?” Trixie asked. Both kids flickered their gazes between the two seated adults nervously. Sportacus suppressed a laugh. Robbie flushed and fixed them both with an embarrassed, bothered stare.

“Yes, he is. I hope neither of you mind. I know we’ve been doing this for almost a year without him, but you two get along so _fantastically_ with him anyways so I doubt it matters.” 

Stingy rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair. “If you don’t mind my opinion, but yes, it does matter. I mean, I think I speak for the both of us by saying that we don’t mind Sportacus staying to eat. But we don’t get to see you very often, Mister Rotten-”

“Robbie, please Stingy. Every week.”

“....Robbie, Trixie and I do think it matters because you mean a lot to us, even if it’s hard to show it. We don’t get to see you everyday like we do with Sportacus. I don’t even get to see you every __week sometimes. I just... _we_ value our time with you. ” Stingy quieted and fidgeted in the silence. Both men shared a look before turning back to the restless young male.

“....Thank you, Stingy. Now eat, for lord’s sake. You’re too thin,” Robbie grumbled, trying to pass the touched feelings off as something else. It didn’t quite work. Sportacus laughed and the kids looked awkward for a second before exchanging grins. They dug in. 

\--------

After dinner, Sportacus sat with that smug look on his face. It was the look that Robbie simply called ‘The One’. He watched as Trixie and Stingy squabbled over which cookie was theirs. Robbie looked like he wanted to die, head in his hands, as they argued over the biggest one.

“This is _not_ why I offered you desert. Just- choose one and eat it! It’s late and neither of you are spending the night,” Robbie bit out.

“Yeah, well that’s my cookie and Trixie can’t have it!” Stingy sniffed. Trixie scoffed beside him, practically standing over the table in resistance. “Nuh-uh! That’s my cookie! It’s too big for you, you wouldn’t be able to eat it!”

“Not true! It’s a cookie, Trixie, and it’s my cookie.” Stingy accentuated his point by _finally_ grabbing the offending cookie from the pile. Sportacus had to jump to catch Trixie from jumping over the table. 

“Trixie- Trix- _Beatrice!_ ” Robbie had to practically yell to grab her attention. Stingy stilled his chewing, a huge bite mark in the cookie matching the wide-eyed look he gave Robbie. Sportacus stiffened, Trixie still in his arms, who simply harrumphed and sunk into her chair.

“......Sorry Stingy.” 

“It’s okay, Trixie. Do you want half of it?” 

Sportacus looked over at Robbie, still wearing ‘The One’ look. Robbie shook his head and mouthed a silent thank you. Sport nodded in return. They turned and saw Trixie and Stingy, both eating half of the big cookie, a smaller one in their other hands. They were talking about something school related and laughing. A deep, warm feeling constricted around his ribs and Sportacus sucked in a breath quicker than he’d intended to. Robbie gazed concernedly at him, frowning. 

Sportacus flipped over to the sink, Robbie following him. Something must have set the elf on edge, seeing as he tried to not flip around Robbie’s tiny home.

“Something up?”

“I’m….really happy, I think,” Sportacus whispered. They watched Trixie and Stingy a moment longer. Robbie was taken aback when Sportacus almost started to cry. 

“Whoa, hey, are you sure you’re okay?”

“No, no, I’m perfectly fine! It just...reminds me of home. A lot. Feels like family. I haven’t felt this way in a long time…” He sniffed and rubbed the tears out of his eyes. Stingy laughed loudly before quickly covering his mouth. He looked over worriedly at the two adults, but seeing as it was alright he went back nervously to his conversation with Trixie. Robbie frowned at the tugging feeling in his gut, but he had a feeling he knew exactly what Sportacus meant. 

“You know what, Sport? I think I understand you completely.” 

“You do?” Robbie nodded, a small smile gracing his stubborn features. One of his rare, more or less, public soft moments. 

“Hey Robbie, Sportacus! Come over here!” Trixie called, excitement dancing in her eyes. Stingy looked behind his seat, excitedly. Robbie breathed in, looking over at Sportacus. If they were feeling the same thing, then maybe this ‘family’ of theirs wasn’t so bad. He pushed off the counter and made his way over his growing kids, a fond smile on his features. 

Not a bad end to a not-so-bad day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops, I lost track of time and didn't upload earlier this week, did I? Sorry about that! I stayed up pretty late editing this last night so sorry if there's any errors. 
> 
> But, hey! Stingy makes an appearance! I love him so much? They have a 'family' dinner and get to see the Lazytown Dads (TM). 
> 
> I had trouble with plotting so not much has been written after this, so I might not update until sometime next week. I figured it out and I'll be writing a shit ton. Sorry in advance if I'm super absent until the next update, haha.
> 
> Anywho, thank you for reading! Have a wonderful day/night.


	7. Chapter Six

Outside was bright and cheery despite the blustery winds of October ripping through Lazytown. Robbie watched from his living room window as leaves flew from yard to yard, street to street. There were clouds out in the fields, soon to reach the tiny town. Robbie wished they’d stay away so he could herd the people inside of his house _out._

It was October 10th. Anyone in their right mind would know exactly what day it was. Robbie was more aware than most people. October 10th was Sportacus’ birthday. Even though the elf refused to tell anybody, Robbie was sure he was turning fourty-three. He only knew that Sportacus was around four years older than him, and that his birthday was three months earlier than his own. To top it all off, instead of having their tiny party at the Mayor’s house, as they did every year prior, Sportacus decided to convince Robbie to have it at _his_ house. He scowled at the screaming laughter to his left and rubbed his temples. 

“Could you _be_ any louder?!” He hissed in the direction of the six laughing teenagers. Stephanie and Trixie stuck their tongues out teasingly at him, to which he scoffed and looked back out the window. 

“Hey, uh, Robbie!” Ziggy called, “Thank you for hosting the party! We’ll try to be quieter for you, that way you don’t get a migraine.” Ever since having told him once that he gets migraines, Ziggy was rather considerate towards the former villain. Robbie mumbled his thanks.

Sportacus flopped himself down onto the couch, grinning at his best friend. Robbie raised an eyebrow in return, wondering why he was smiling so widely at him. “Need anything?”

“Nope! Just really happy,” Sportacus said, then backtracked and held up a finger. “Actually, I wanted to thank you. For hosting the party, and for being such a great friend. It’s honestly the best birthday present I’ve ever gotten.” 

A soft pink settled onto Robbie’s cheeks, who looked away quickly and waved his friend off. “It’s whatever, your welcome, whatever. Just-....I’m glad you didn’t ask _everybody_ to come. If I’d of hosted a party for the whole town then I think I would have just left.” 

“Aw, no Robbie! Remember, the new residents decided to celebrate with me last weekend. I wanted to celebrate with my closest friends and family today. It’s...more meaningful that way.” 

“.....Your welcome, Sportadork.” Robbie looked out the window again, trying to shake the tightening feeling in his gut and chest. Sportacus grinned at him and started a conversation with the kids, who were playing a game of Monopoly on the floor. Jives was banker and had memorized the rules thoroughly. Stingy was co-banker, only because he _hadn’t_ memorized the rules. He was less angry about it than everyone thought he’d be. 

“Who’s winning so far, guys?”

“I think Stingy is. He’s bought the most property so far,” Jives answered. He looked to Stingy for conferment, who nodded confidently. Everybody watched as Pixel shook his dice and rolled. He ended up getting two hundred and fifty dollars and buying St. Charles Place. Sportacus whistled as he watched. 

“Doesn’t this game get _very_ competitive?” Robbie asked.

Sportacus nodded beside him, “Yes, it does! I once played with Stephanie and Trixie and I thought all hell was going to be set loose.”

A collective gasp went around the children, wide eyed and _staring_ at Sportacus. Robbie cackled on his side of the couch, Sportacus looked at them all very confused. 

“What? What’d I say?”

“Duuuude! That’s the worst I’ve ever heard you swear,” Jives laughed. 

Stephanie nodded from beside him, “Yeah, Sportacus! That’s the worse one so far. Last week you said, and excuse my language, ‘ _damn it_ ’. For you, that’s pretty bad! I think Robbie’s rubbing off on you.”

“Ha- wh- hey!” The kids burst into giggles and laughter, as did Sportacus. Robbie huffed and crossed his arms, although all anger drained from his body when Sportacus fixed him with that fond grin. God, he was a giant softie. 

“Oh, Robbie!” Ms. Busybody called. He perked up and leaned over the arm of the couch, straining to see her in his kitchen doorway. “Should we do gifts for Sportacus now or eat first? Milford’s almost done with the roasted vegetables in here.” 

“Uh…..Sportacus, food or gifts?” Robbie swiveled his gaze back over to the elf curled on the other end of the couch, of whom thought for a second before answering, “Food first! The kids haven’t eaten lunch yet today.” 

Ms. Busybody nodded and ducked back into the kitchen. Robbie and Sportacus watched the kids play Monopoly for a few more minutes before they were all called in for food. It was deemed that Sportacus would get food first, since he was the _birthday boy_ (Robbie’s words). Next the adults would go, then the children. Sportacus tried to fight that the children should go first but Ms. Busybody and Robbie wouldn’t have it. 

The food went fast. Sportacus piled his plate high with healthy foods, while Robbie contented himself to a few small potatoes and mainly deserts. The kids got portions of everything while Ms. Busybody and the Mayor mainly ate salads. 

The adults occupied the couch, the kids on the floor, leaving Robbie and Sportacus practically sitting in each other’s lap. Jives and Pixel elbowed each other, looking at the two male adults eat. Despite being forced-joined by the hip, neither seemed _too_ bothered by the contact. If it weren’t for the way they dodged each other’s eyes during conversation or the blush on their cheeks, they’d’ve thought that Robbie and Sportacus sat together like that on the daily. 

Ziggy was the first to finish eating. He practically vibrated while waiting for everyone to finish. Opening presents was his favorite part of birthday parties, along with cake and ice cream, even if it wasn’t his party. There was something nice in watching people excitedly opening their gifts.

“Hey- hey! Now that everybody’s done eating, shouldn’t Sportacus open his gifts now, huh? Huh?”

“Now now, Ziggy-”

“It’s okay, Ms. Busybody, I’d love to start opening gifts. That way the kids can move onto cake and ice cream and we can play some games for a while,” Sportacus quickly intervened. Robbie took his plate, setting their two dishes aside and shifting so Sportacus was more comfortable for gift-opening. 

Stephanie ran up and gave her gift first, which was a cookbook for sugar-free dessert recipes. Robbie whistled lowly upon seeing it, to which Sportacus laughed and thanked her gratuitously. Stingy and Trixie teamed together to get him various new sports balls. Jives and Pixel bought him DDR. They had to explain what it was at first, but after hearing their explanation Sportacus was eager to play it. Ziggy gave Sportacus a homemade picture frame, empty, for him to choose his favorite picture to put in it. Bessie and Milford simply got him gifts of money. The last present was Robbie’s. 

“You actually got me something?” Sportacus asked, wide-eyed. He shifted to sit sideways, easily accepting the slightly hefty box Robbie was awkwardly trying to pass to him. Robbie tried not to watch his best friend eagerly open it, but couldn’t quite keep his eyes away. He watched intently and smiled behind his hand at the large gasp the elf gave.

“Oh _wow_! Robbie! These- these are amazing! Wait- is _this_ why you made me model those projects for you? You were trying to get my measurements!” In Sportacus’ hands were various fashionable outfits. They were mainly blue and white, hints of black of grey on the sides or back. Robbie scoffed and looked away, cheeks burning a bright red.

“ _No_. I just….needed you to help me that day and I coincidentally ended up making you clothes for your birthday. Your welcome.” 

“Oh, thank you so much Robbie! I’ll be sure to wear them!” Sportacus tackled his best friend in a choking hug, nuzzling into his shoulder and laughing at Robbie’s cries for, “Personal space, Jesus Chris, Sportacus!” 

“Those are very nice clothes, Sportacus. Robbie really outdid himself.” Bessie commented, looking at the half-pulled out clothes. 

Trixie laughed besides Stingy, “His clothes are fancier than yours! You’re gonna have to work harder now, Stingy.” 

“I will not! My clothes are the best because they’re _mine_ , obviously. Although, they are very nice.” 

“Thank you, Stingy. I appreciate your kind words. I’m sure Robbie’s happy to hear you like his clothing designs.” Robbie grumbled a half-hearted protest here, rolling his shoulders and pointedly looking away from the giggling mass of adolescents. 

“How about we start cake and ice cream? That way the kids can eat and play while there’s still daylight,” Milford suggested. Everyone brightened up at the mention of dessert, even Sportacus, since Robbie’d made him a sugar-free lemon cake. 

“Great idea! Come on guys, let’s go get everything ready.” Stephanie stood up and led the group into the kitchen. Robbie heard them open and close his freezer, presumably getting the ice cream. Bessie and Milford had followed so he hadn't give much thought to them.

Sportacus was still admiring his new clothes. He pulled each one out and examined every stitching thread, the colors dancing on his irises. Robbie watched him quickly pull off his hat and goggles and replace them with a new white beanie. 

“How do I look?”

“Amazing…” Robbie murmured, looking him over. Sportacus stopped, his gaze catching Robbie’s. His face turned a bright shade of red and he struggled to breathe for a moment. Robbie realized what he’d said and let out an undignified squeak. He didn’t get a chance to correct himself, though. 

“Well… thank you, Robbie. I know I don’t have a lot of outfits but..these are such beautiful clothes...I can’t wait to wear them.”

“Y-yeah, well, just don’t ruin them! I tried to use more flexible and stretchy material but they’re still a little stiff.”

“I promise I won’t ruin these, Robbie,” Sportacus whispered. He looked away with a thoughtful hum and began to put the clothes back into the box. Despite the space now on the couch, they still sat practically on top of each other. It was awkward but...nice. Really, really nice. 

“We should get dessert before the kids get worried.” 

“Or before Trixie tries to make a joke about us,” Robbie responded. They were still speaking in hushed tones, temples almost brushing as they looked towards the kitchen. 

For the longest while, neither moved. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a super short chapter guys. It was sort of to introduce Sport and Robbie's relative ages, along with the rest of the crew (and Jives. I freaking love Jives). I realize it's kinda filler-ish but it really helps to introduce the characters and such. Also yeah, I realized everybody but Pixel talks and I'm sorry about that. He gets a role towards the end of the fic, so don't worry! He's there :)
> 
> On the bright side, the next chapter is incredibly long so far. It's a bit awkward and I don't want to break it up, so it'll probably be around 5 or 6 thousand words. It's a lot but it's a super cute chapter imo. 
> 
> Also, I noticed as I was writing that my style is shifting a tad bit. I wanted to apologize if it's still noticeable, as I tried to go back and edit any shifty parts. 
> 
> I would also like to thank everybody for their wonderful comments! I keep forgetting to thank ya'll for this since I always upload late at night, but I truly do appreciate every kind word I get. Again, thank you all very much. <3
> 
> Anywho, thank you for reading! Have a wonderful day/night :)


	8. Chapter Seven

Christmas had long since passed and the cool of January was only just setting in. It was a school day and the adults were at work. Robbie, with his flexible schedule, didn’t have anything on his work list at the moment. He hadn’t gotten any new commissions so he laid on his couch, playing Candy Crush on his new IPhone. Sportacus, craving company and free of heroing at the moment, also lounged on the couch. 

“Youuu should flip the two in the bottom right corner…” Sportacus murmured. He was behind Robbie, watching him play while working his left arm with a weight. Robbie, his head leaning on Sportacus’s shoulder, the rest of his body between Sport’s legs, cursed softly.

“Shit, thanks...Hey by the way, now that I’ve remembered it, my brother might be coming over later...Just wanted to tell you so you don’t rush to the door like an excited puppy.”

“Oh, okay. Which one?”

“Either Bobby or Tobby, I can’t remember. All I know is that Flobby is busy today.” 

Sportacus nodded silently from behind. Robbie was concentrated on the game, his voice low and drawn out. He won a level and triumphantly hummed. Sport hummed with him, shifting into a better sitting position so Robbie’s back wasn’t strained. 

Sportacus looked down at Robbie, practically curled against his lap. It was like a fantasy come true, a very secret fantasy. It was hard to suppress the shudder that tried to vibrate from within him.

Ever since the birthday party, the two of them had been sitting relatively close together. Nothing too bad, usually just shoulder and thigh touches, or perhaps tangled legs on a shared couch. Today was an exception, where neither was too concerned with letting their flustered feelings limit their contact interactions. Robbie allowed himself to be curled on his couch and Sportacus contented himself to sitting on the end that Robbie’s head laid at, letting them to curl together. 

It was at the moment that Sportacus reached forward with his free hand to make a combination in the game that Robbie’s doorbell rang. Sportacus startled slightly but was snapped out of his reverie when Robbie handed the phone to him and got up to answer the door.

“Hey, Tobby,” Robbie lamely greeted. He pulled his brother in for a quick hug before ushering the slightly snow covered male into his house. 

“Hey, Robbie! We haven’t talked in awhile, huh? How are you doing?” Sportacus could hear their conversation clearly from the couch. He couldn’t see them but could distinctly hear the sounds of Tobby toeing off his boots and shimmying out of his winter jacket. Sport contented himself to working his left arm and playing Candy Crush with his right, still vaguely listening to the conversation. 

“I’ve been okay, nothing too exciting. My lungs still feel like shit half the time but I’m used to it. How’s the boys? Have you talked to Glanni in a while?”

“We’re all doing pretty good, with the new house and all. ‘S pretty nice, can’t wait for you to come over. No word from Glanni-”

Tobby stopped in the living room entranceway behind Robbie. He’d visited Lazytown a few times after their bout trying to catch Sportacus, but never had Robbie been social with the elf. It was quite a surprise to see him lounging on his brother’s couch, playing on his phone.

“Hey Sportacus....Robbie, I thought you hated him. Not- not that I do, or that you do! It’s just that the last time I checked you kinda...despised him…..” Tobby shifted from foot to foot awkwardly, staying in the doorway and flickering his gaze between the two men before him. Robbie blinked for a second before scoffing softly.

“No, not anymore. I mean, his flips still give me headaches and his exercises are nonsense to me-”

“You say that but you love it when I exercise. Means I can’t bother you,” Sportacus smiled while winning another level of Candy Crush. He looked up jubilantly, set down the items in his hands, and stood from the couch. “Hey Tobby. It’s good to see you again!” He smiled that bright grin when Tobby sheepishly waved.

“.....Shut up. Anyways, it’s fine, we’re ‘friends’ now. I see him probably an accumulative total of four days a week. Sometimes more than that. He’s fine.” 

Robbie sauntered into his kitchen and came back out with a small, worn calendar. He opened it up and sunk into the couch, flipping to January and conjuring a pen easily. 

“How about we work out the date first- stop standing in the doorway and come here! He won’t hurt you. Might lecture you about health shit but he’s literally harmless. Come sit by me and let’s work this out.” 

Sportacus grinned brightly and watched the two brothers converse over ‘the date’. Ultimately, he’d stopped paying attention after a few minutes into his push-ups. He was only brought back into reality from Robbie repeating his name.

“Sportadork, Sportaflop, Sporta..a..Sportaloon... _Sportacus_.”

“Hm? Oh, sorry Robbie!” Sportacus shifted into a crossed-legged position and sheepishly grinned. “What were you saying? I was too absorbed in my push-ups to hear.” 

“ _Obviously_. Tobby has a question to ask you.” 

“Okay! Shoot!”

“Uh...Well, you see...growing up Robbie never had many friends-”

“ _Hey_.”

“What? I’m only telling the truth! Anyways, I texted my brothers and we wanted to know if you wanted to come to the Rotten-Glæpur Winter Meet-Up. It’s fairly new, we’ve only been doing it since this one,” he elbowed Robbie teasingly, “almost got killed in the fire a few years back. It’s kinda something we do to make sure nobody’s died or disappeared. We’d like to invite you kinda as a thank you for lookin after ‘im and being friends with ‘im.” Tobby smiled, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly after scooting to the edge of his seat.

Sportacus’ mouth was a small ‘o’, thinking the proposal over. He sat a little straighter and flexed his left forearm nervously. “Well, I’d love to take you up on that offer, but I don’t want to intrude-”

“Obviously you’re not intruding. The three of them texted, came to a conclusion, and then asked you to come, invitation and all,” Robbie interjected exasperatedly.

“Well, yes, but do you want me there? Or what about Glanni? Tobby said that no one’s talking to him yet.” 

“I wouldn’t _mind_ if you came, I guess. You’d just have to be prepared, is all.” 

“Prepared?”

“Our family is a little weird,” Tobby grinned lopsidedly. Robbie snorted beside him and murmured something barely intelligible. 

“What was that?”

“Nothing, Tobby. Back on topic; no, I wouldn’t really mind if you came with me. Glanni might throw a fit but at this point four out of six welcome you, so majority rules.” He shrugged and closed his calendar. “The twenty-first, right?” 

“Yup!” Tobby stood and stretched, feeling uncomfortable from Robbie’s couch. He turned around and offered a hand to his brother, lifting him up and pulling him into a hug.

“Sorry I can’t stay for longer, but I still have errands to run in BusyCity. It was nice to see you while I was in the area, though!”

“It was nice to see you too, Tobby. See you in a week in a half.” Robbie firmly patted his brother on the shoulder before stepping away. Sportacus jumped up nimbly and extended a hand to Tobby. 

“Thank you for inviting me to your meet-up. I’ll be sure to think it over, and I’ll have Robbie inform you when I decide if I’ll come. It was nice to see you again!” 

Tobby shook Sportacus’s hand, jostled by the sheer strength and vibrancy that emitted from him. “Your welcome, and alright. Just know that you’re more than welcome to come. See you maybe in a week and a half.” He waved, a smirk settling on his features, and backed out to the entrance, Robbie following to see him out.

Sportacus dropped down into his push-ups once more, although he lost track while counting a quarter way through with the new thoughts swarming his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Sorry for not updating earlier, I've been working on the second part of this. It was too long so it's been split up here where it makes sense. Apologies since this ends up being short due to that, but to make up for it the next chapter is around 7k words. Whoops ^^;
> 
> I'll be uploading the next part in a few hours or sometime tomorrow, whichever ends up happening. 
> 
> Thank you for reading, and have a wonderful day/night! :D


	9. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Quick warning, there is a part around after the dinner scene where the family plays an adult game and, for one paragraph, some adult content is said. I've bolded a few marks around the paragraph, that way if you don't want to read it or are too young to then you can skip over it. Also, beware, Glanni and Robbie drop the f-bombs a few times. 
> 
> This concludes my quick PSA, please enjoy the chapter!
> 
> Edit on 7/27/17: There were more deleted paragraphs and dialogues in this chapter too, which confuses me on _how_ they got deleted. Well, they're back in now. Sorry I never noticed until _after_ I finished writing the fic.

The bus ride to BusyCity was filled with more tension than Robbie had ever experienced in his life. 

Okay, that was an understatement. In the moment, though, it felt like even more tension than finding out that he was an officially an orphan, or finally dropping out of college. He couldn’t help but fidget besides Sportacus, who wasn’t any better off.

The thing was, despite bringing a _friend_ to a family meet up, it felt more like he was bringing his _boyfriend_ home. Which he wasn’t. But it felt so akin to that stomach-eating feeling that Robbie wasn’t sure what else to compare it to.

Despite their close-contact friendship, Robbie was sure he’d managed to bury his ungodly crush on Sportacus. He’d shoved it deep into himself, ignoring the flashes of blushes and shakiness Sportacus tended to give him. Most nights he tried to convince himself that Sportacus was just his best friend and nothing more.

Key word: _tried._

Just that last night Robbie’d practically had a nervous breakdown over his feelings. Again. Sportacus ended up slinking into his house at 1:30 in the morning, rubbing Robbie’s back and eating up the lie that he was just extremely tired. He didn’t question the red rim to Robbie’s eyes and the congestion in his voice. In the end, Sportacus fell asleep on Robbie’s couch, only after the latter fell into a fitful dreamstate. 

It wasn’t the first time since the class reunion that Sportacus’ crystal had gone off from Robbie’s emotional states. It certainly wouldn’t be the last, either. He tried not to think about it for the moment, for it’d only cause him more trouble if he did.

Sportacus, in the seat to Robbie’s right, fidgeted just as bad as his best friend. He’d slept fine despite being at Robbie’s in the early morning. His uneasy movements came from the wave of anxiety that washed over him every time he thought about the meet-up.

Much like Robbie, Sportacus couldn’t help but feel as though he was being taken to meet the parents. He knew Robbie’s parents had passed, but that didn’t stop the gut churning emotions coursing through his veins. Sportacus chewed his bottom lip in worry, only startled when Robbie suddenly took his hand.

“Okay, so a few things you need to know. One, Glanni probably won’t take to you very quickly. Or probably at all. His daughter might, though. Ella’s rather accepting. Two, it’d be best to only eat what we’ve brought. My family likes their sugars and sweets and I’m not sure what they put into the sauces and gravies. Best just to eat your sportscandy. I know there's a third one but I can’t remember it right now….” 

“Well… that’s alright. You can just tell me when you do remember.” Sportacus watched Robbie’s jumpy leg and looked at him worriedly. “Are you… okay? You seem anxious.” 

“Ha, you aren’t any better, Sport. Just….it’ll be fine. We’ll be fine. Repeat what I said?”

“Glanni won’t like me right away or at all, but Ella probably will. And that I should eat the sportscandy that I brought incase any sugars are in the foods.”

“Good...good. Lets just relax. We have another ten minutes before we get there.” 

Robbie exhaled heavily and worked his hands together, a sign of his nervous anxiety that Sportacus had come to recognize. He didn’t stop biting his own lip and instead tried to calm himself by watching the scenery outside the window. It was easiest to focus on his reflection and the outline of the airship following a mile behind. 

**\------**

“Hey, hey! Robbie, Sportacus, welcome! Come in, come in. It’s cold outside, hurry up and get warm!”

Sportacus walked behind Robbie, following slowly. Bobby stood, sock-footed, on a medium sized white porch. He wore a red sweater and what looked like a combination of jeans and sweatpants, eagerly smiling at the arriving guests. Robbie hugged him once up the stairs, and he shook Sportacus’ hand afterwards. They were ushered into the warmth of the house not even a second later. 

The moment Sportacus was pushed in he noticed two things. One: the air was indeed warm compared to the harsh cold outside. Two: something seemed...off. The air was comfortable but turned muggy and thick the further he walked into the house. It was such a stark comparison to outside that Sportacus almost tripped. The only reason he didn’t was the tackle-hug that Flobby gave to both him and Robbie.

“ _Oof_! Hello, Flobby. Might wanna tone down the strength there.” Robbie grunted. He haphazardly hugged back while toeing off his shoes, Sportacus doing the same as he tried to wrap his mind around the thick atmosphere. He didn’t have to wonder about it for much longer.

“Robbie! Our _little gumdrop_ , it’s good to-”

Sportacus watched, wide-eyed, as who he guessed was Glanni walked into view and halted violently in front of him. He watched in amazement as large black, white, and pink wings snapped shut and disappeared. A heavy wave of magical energy rushed forward, catching Sportacus off guard and out of breath. He vaguely heard Robbie groan beside him. 

“Shit….That’s what I forgot…”

“What, that you’re _fae? Part fae?_ ” Sportacus whispered in disbelief.

“Hush, _elf_. And you, Robbie- you just forgot? _Forgot?_ First off, how the _hell_ could you forget to mention that you’re _part fae_? Secondly, why the _hell_ did you bring an elf, Robbie, to our family gathering?!” Glanni’s tone was seething, although no one but Sportacus seemed to mind too much. Robbie exhaled again beside him and looked back at his brother. 

“Look, I just- I just forgot, okay?”

“How could you forget?!” 

“Well it’s not like I have wings or anything! I just conceal my magic and I end up forgetting.” Sportacus and two of the triplets watched the heated argument uneasily. Glanni stood straighter under Robbie’s statement, his shoulder’s rolling as though his wings were present and shuddering. 

“....That doesn’t explain why you brought an _elf_.”

“He was invited, for fucks sake Glanni! Did the boys not tell you? And stop calling him ‘elf’, it’s rude!”

“They said you were bringing a friend! How was I supposed to you were bringing a _fucking elf_ with you?!”

Both men were beginning to shout. Sportacus gingerly covered his ears, wincing in the slightest. A pressure was weighing down on his shoulders and chest, a deep throb in the back of his skull. Bobby took notice to his discomfort and stepped between the two. 

“Hey, hey. Calm down, guys. It won’t do us any good to fight about it. Sportacus is here and we invited him in, he’s welcome in our territory. Can you calm down a little, Glanni? I’m not even that magical and I can _feel_ your presence more than I probably should. I bet you’re hurting him.”

Everybody looked back to where Flobby was rubbing Sportacus’ back, the latter going between rubbing his temple and left eye. Robbie scoffed and slunk over to his friend, wrapping an arm around him and massaging the base of his neck. Glanni watched the interaction and lessened his magical output. Arms crossed, he backed away and disappeared into the kitchen. 

“We’re extremely sorry about that, Sportacus. Are you okay?” Bobby asked. He watched worriedly as Robbie cast a soothing spell, quenching the skull throbbing headache Sportacus had developed. 

“Yeah, yeah. I’m...I’m okay. Or at least, I should be. Sorry about….this. I didn’t know I’d be so… poorly received.”

“Oh don’t you _dare_ start that apology bullshit. You’re invited and welcomed into the boys’ territory. We’re happy to have you; everybody but Glanni, _who_ did not _have the right to magically pressure you_.” 

“Pressure…?”

“Yes, pressure. Flobby told me that the house has wards. Glanni came over last week and set them up. They’re new and extremely powerful, so he used them to an unfair advantage and made his magic output, ‘presence’, bigger, then used it to pressure you. No wonder why you look sick as a fucking dog.”

Sportacus stayed silent and nodded once it felt as though he could move without being nauseous. Robbie helped him up and guided him to the couch. Flobby ran to the kitchen and came back with water. Sportacus thanked him silently and huddled into the couch, sipping his water half-heartedly. Robbie sat close by, their shoulders and thighs brushing. Flobby smiled, almost knowingly, before moving back into the kitchen to help finish dinner.

Robbie pulled out his IPhone from his pocket and started up Candy Crush. He positioned it so both of them could play. Sportacus leaned his head on Robbie’s shoulder so he could concentrate better.

“Let’s play truth or dare between levels.” Robbie suggested. It was an attempt to make Sportacus as comfortable as possible, since the greetings had gone terribly. 

“Okay.” Sportacus mumbled. They worked through the level and exhaled heavily after winning it. Sportacus twisted to look up at Robbie,“Truth or dare?”

“Dare. But nothing too extreme.”

“I dare you to…. Try and lick your elbow.” Robbie detected the smirk in his voice before he saw it on his face, a frown settling into his own.

“Have you seen how long my arms are? That’s impossible, Sportakook.”

“ _I_ think you can do it.” Sportacus shifted so he was facing Robbie’s left side, grinning magnificently. The latter took a deep breath before bending his arm and bringing it to his face. Sportacus giggled as Robbie strained to touch his tongue tip to his elbow.

“This is such bull!” Robbie exclaimed after a moment, giving up and letting his arm fall back down. Sportacus was full on laughing now, shaking his head and shaking Robbie.

“No! N-Not it’s not, haha! Look, look I can do it!” Without waiting for Robbie to argue with him, he bent and touched his tongue to his elbow, giggling once it was done. Robbie watched with morbid curiosity, slightly taken back by the display.

“What the hell! You’re short though, that doesn’t count! Besides your tongue is long- it’s also got a rounded point at the tip- you got more extension than I do!” 

“Nuh-uh! Mah tuhngue is puhfecktly normahwl.” Sportacus retorted, still touching tongue to elbow.

“Yeah, for an _elf_.”

“Rwude.”

Robbie snorted and rolled his eyes. Giving him one last glance he bent his elbow and tried again. After a few moments of hopeless struggling he dropped it and glared at Sportacus annoyedly. Sportacus, in turn, dropped his arm and suddenly have him ‘The One’; a smirking smile that signaled he was about to say something snarky. Robbie frowned, the entire demeanor of their conversation shifted. 

“Maybe if you exercised more-”

“ _Jesus fucking Christ_ , Sportaloon-”

“ _Uncle Robbie!!_ ”

Robbie startled, his head whipping in the direction of the call. Before he could turn completely, however, Ella Glæpur tackled her uncle in the tightest hug he’d received all day. Sportacus felt her arm practically punch him in the cheek as it wrapped around her uncle. Confused, Ella looked over her uncle’s shoulder and locked gazes with Sportacus. 

“Oh, hello. Are you Mr. Sportacus?”

“Hello! Yes, I am. Are you Ella?” Sportacus smiled at the bright grin he received. Robbie patted his niece's head and gave her a quick squeeze. 

“Yes, this is Ella. My little Rottenella.” Sportacus cracked a smile when Ella fixed her uncle with a scolding glare, rivaling that of Robbie’s shit-eating grin. 

“You’re only allowed to call me that in secret, remember? Don’t let dad hear, or else he’ll kick your butt.” 

“Haha! Why, because you’re a Glæpur and not a Rotten?”

“Yeah!” 

Robbie snorted, leaning back into the couch as Ella climbed off of him and took a seat on the adjacent couch. “ _Technically_ , you’re Rotten by blood. Your father was an edgy little asshole-”

“Language!”

“Eh, she’s used to it. Anyways, your father was edgy and changed his last name in his twenties. You’re technically a Rotten.” 

Ella rolled her eyes, smiling despite the glare she’d dished out moments earlier. “Yes, Uncle Robbie, I know that. You tell me every time you call me Rottenella.” 

“Well, if you don’t mind my input, I think it’s a cute nickname. The secret’s safe with me.” Sportacus smirked. There was a teasing atmosphere now that Sport found himself wrapped up in. Ella beamed at him. 

“My father says I am quite forward, so please excuse me when I say that I really like you, Mr. Sportacus.”

“Awe, thank you, Ella. Please, though, just Sportacus is fine.” 

Ella nodded firmly, her whole body moving with her. She sat straighter and pointed at her uncle. “I have a question for the both of you. Are you two dating?” 

The question was so blunt that Sportacus had trouble processing it. Robbie comprehended it faster, mouth hanging in shocked silence. At the same time, the two grown men stood up and pushed away from the other awkwardly. Glanni could audibly be heard from his eavesdropping spot in the kitchen doorway spitting out his soda. 

“They better not be!” He shouted. Robbie quickly flipped his brother off, too fast for Ella to see, and turned back to his niece. His face was the reddest that Sportacus had ever seen, to the point he was worried about Robbie’s blood pressure.

“Ella- dearest- that, uh, that’s a very….that’s a question that you needn't worry about. For future reference, ah, we are _not_ dating,” he laughed awkwardly and sat down on the opposite side of the couch, “we’re just very good friends, is all.” 

Sportacus sat and pouted internally. Robbie was now to his left, two couch seats away. But it was probably for the best, he noted, as he heard the blood pounding in his own ears. As much as he loved the thought of dating Robbie, fantasized about it, it’d never happen. Robbie and him were best friends, nothing more. Ella didn’t (shouldn’t) have to worry about their relationship, either. 

“What about you, Sportacus?” Ella blinked innocently at him, a familiar glint of mischief in her eyes. Sportacus shifted in his seat and caught the tailend of a glare from Glanni, peeking his head through the doorway. 

“Well, Ella…” He stopped to think before continuing. “We’re not dating. Robbie and I are very good friends, best friends. Could you tell me why you thought we were dating?”

“Well, you two were really close together. I’ve only seem couples sit that close. And he was smiling at you! Uncle Robbie _never_ smiles at anything unless he really likes it. I don’t know, it just seemed like you two were.” She shrugged her shoulders and smiled brightly at them. Robbie muttered something about her being a little shit before resuming their game of truth or dare, Ella now included. 

**\------**

By the time dinner rolled around the game of truth or dare had expanded in numbers of players. Bobby had finally sat himself down in a recliner and obliged himself to playing. Flobby took over for Tobby in the kitchen, allowing the man to get some cooler air and converse with their guests. 

Sportacus’ breath was taken away by the giant orange, yellow, and black wings that spanned from the tall man’s back. They reminded him of monarch wings, excluding the white spots. It was hard for him to believe that just a week ago the man was in Robbie’s living room, those very same wings hidden with magic. Glanni, who stood behind Ella and the couch, also allowed his wings out to breathe. Sportacus would have liked to admire him, but Glanni was giving him death glares so he backed off. It wasn’t hard to miss how the wings shuddered, though, while Glanni watched the game and sipped his soda-alcohol mix peevishly. 

Everyone was watching Bobby try to look in two different directions at the same time on a dare from Ella when Flobby walked in. He had an oversized apron on and grinned widely, signing that dinner was ready to be served. The triplets immediately dragged Sportacus to the kitchen, to show him an extravagantly looking salad bar they’d set up for him. Sportacus had to take a moment to make sure he wasn’t crying. 

He grabbed basically everything from the salad bar and went to sit at the dining room table besides Robbie, who’d gotten a small plate of turkey with a lot of flavored gravy. Ella was about to sit by Sportacus, she was enamored by him, but Glanni beat her to it. He sank into the seat slowly, burning daggers into the side of Sportacus’ face. Sportacus was too busy to be worried, though, as Robbie blatantly flipped his brother off while Sport sputtered indignantly. 

“Robbie!”

“What?”

“That’s rude!”

“So? He is too. It’s not _harming_ him.” Robbie added his other hand, flipped off as well, and started a staring competition with his brother, who returned the gestures. Ella giggled from her seat besides Robbie while Sportacus shifted uncomfortably and sank against the chair backing. 

Tobby was the last to sit down. As soon as he did both brothers backed off and started eating, as though nothing had happened. Sportacus ate his salad, relieved that the tension had dissipated. They made mostly friendly conversation over the table, only turning into arguments when Glanni and Robbie butted heads. While Sportacus suffered between the two bickering men, he always caught Ella giggling off to the side. It made him giggle as well. 

Dinner, as it was, only lasted around twenty minutes. Afterwards, desert was open for anybody, but the pies that were there were for later. Sportacus snacked on a pear and went to sit back on the couch besides Robbie, who contently ate a plate full of cookies. He noticed that only Bobby and Tobby didn’t get a few cookies to tide them over until later. 

Flobby turned on the TV, the cooking channel on. They left it as it was, soft conversations going over the channel. In the middle of a talk with Glanni, Bobby suddenly laughed and turned down the TV volume.

“Hey, how about we play Cards Against Humanity? We bought the game a few months ago, remember?”

“Yes! Please! Sometimes dad and I play and it’s so fun!” Ella clapped, grinning widely. Robbie chuckled lowly, shaking his head and running a hand over his hair. 

“Ohhh no…”

“What’s wrong, Robbie?” Sportacus asked. Robbie looked down to the elf leaning in his shoulder, an eyebrow raised.

“Do you even know what Cards Against Humanity is?”

Sportacus thought about this for a minute before shaking his head. “No, I don’t think I do, actually. Could you tell me?”

Glanni laughed from the other side of the living room. He gulped down half of his drink before answering. “An adult game, Elfy. Are you sure you’re ready for such a game?”

Sportacus blushed frustratedly under Glanni’s teasing tone. He was about to retort when Ella stepped in instead.

“Dad, stop! It’s okay, Sportacus. He’s just giving you a hard time- he does it to everybody. Cards Against Humanity is like a really adult version of Apples to Apples, if you’ve ever played that game before.” 

Sportacus thought for a second before nodding. “Yes, I’ve played that one before.”

“Good, then you know exactly how to play this game.” Robbie said. Ella leaned forward in her seat excitedly, “Do you think you’ll play? I mean, yeah it gets dirty but it’s really funny!” 

Sportacus looked back up to Robbie, shifting awkwardly. “How bad is it?”

Robbie shrugged. “Pretty bad, sometimes. Are you sure you want to play? It’ll rob you of your innocence. Actually, you and Ella are probably the only ones here with child-like innocence left in their bodies. And even then, I could probably say that you’re more innocent than Ella.” 

“If Sportacus is the innocent one, then what am I?” Ella asked. Glanni answered without hesitation, “The clever one.” 

“Glanni’s the angry one, I’m the smart one. Flobby is the quiet one and Tobby is the practical one.” Robbie added.

“What am I, then?” Bobby interjected. Glanni snorted, “The _normal_ one.” Bobby laughed louder than he should have, and it took Sportacus a moment to register that he was the only one of the brothers to have a diminished handle on anything magic. 

“So are we playing or what? Do you think you can handle it, Elfy?” Glanni drawled. Sportacus frowned under the nickname and scooted closer to Robbie subconsciously.

“Yes, I’ll play. I may still have a purer view of the world, but that doesn’t mean I can’t handle an adult game.” 

Robbie snorted and stood up from the couch. “Good luck, Sport. I’m warning you, it can get bad. Get up, you can sit by me and I’ll help you the first few rounds.” 

Everybody moved back to their seats from dinner while Flobby ran upstairs to grab the game. Glanni lounged gracefully besides Sportacus, his alcohol-soda drink magically refilled and swirling around his glass cup. He grinned lazily at him, causing Sportacus to grow uneasy under his gaze.

“Stop staring, you weirdo. I thought you didn’t even like him, why are you staring?” Robbie grumbled. Glanni seemed to purr under his brother’s attention. “Well, cupcake, it’s just that I find it so _funny_ to see the unprepared loose their innocence. It’s so fun to watch their shocked faces.” 

Ella nodded from her side of the table, “Yeah! It’s always really funny to play with new players, since they never know what to expect.” She giggled while reminiscing. 

“Thanks, Flobby. Here, I’ll be card cesar first.” Tobby took a giant, black box from Flobby. The lid came off to show rows and rows of white cards, about two of the rows filled with black cards. Sportacus watched as Tobby took out a single handful of black cards and placed them face down onto the table. He then took two piles of white cards and put them on either side of the black cards. It took less than a minute for him to effortlessly pass out seven cards to everybody around the table.

“Do you need a minute, Sportacus?” Tobby asked. He patiently waited, tapping a black card in hand, unread, against the table top. Flobby and Ella were giggling at Sportacus’ practical panic attack while reading his cards, Glanni watching with an amused smirk. Robbie was helping him through it in hushed words, his face twisted in amusement.

“Shit, you have a lot of good cards.” Robbie laughed. Sportacus turned him with a strained face. “ _Good cards?!_ ”

“Haha! Yeah! These are some great cards. If you get cards like these all game then you’ll win for sure.” 

“I don’t know if I _want_ to win this game.” Sportacus mumbled. Robbie patted him on the back sympathetically, motioning for Tobby to start the game. 

“Alright alright, I’ll start now. Oohh, a classic card. How did I lose my virginity?” A few snickers went around the table. Robbie played his card before looking over to help Sportacus, only to laugh at the sight of him sunk so low in his seat that only the top of his head was visible from the other side of the table. 

“It’s not even that bad of a card.” Robbie chuckled. Sportacus sent him a glare, “ _There’s a child across the table._ I don’t know about you but-”

“She’s perfectly capable of playing this game. She’s thirteen, in middle school. It’s the time of hormonal, horny, dirty-minded adolescents to play this game behind their parent’s backs. At least she’s playing it supervised. Have you played your card yet?”

“.....No.” Sportacus sat up straighter and chose a card, too fast for Robbie to read it, and slid it over to Tobby. Robbie had to massage soothing circles in Sportacus’ back, all while listening to him murmur about how he was a horrible person for playing this game. He only laughed. 

****** Stop reading now if you’re sensitive to adult content. ******

“Did everybody hand a card in? Yeah? Alright, I’ll start. How did I lose my virginity? 98 year old cougars; a 70 year old white man in a sailor moon cosplay; glory holes,” he stopped to chuckle at the thought of that one, “a- a game of twister that...haha, that turns into an orgy. That...that’s a good one. Um, Batman in drag, and finally….ha- haha! Oh my god- f-firing a rifle while being balls deep in a sq-quealing h-hog!” 

****** You may resume reading now.******

The table dissipated into ugly laughter at the last card. Robbie had his head against the cool wood, laughing from his gut and wiping the tears from his eyes. He looked over to see Sportacus so red in the face that it spread down his neck. He looked like he was holding back giggles, shaking in his seat. 

“Jesus, those are all good cards!” Bobby breathed, wiping a tear away with his thumb. Ella was giggling maniacally, hiding her ginormous smile behind her cards. Tobby was looking over the cards with a giant grin on his face. It seemed as though he couldn’t choose between three.

“Alright, alright. I chose balls deep in the hog, because why the fuck not.” He chuckled, waiting for the player to claim their black card. When no one offered he frowned, “Did somebody forget what they played?”

Slowly, very slowly, a hand was raised. Glanni choked on his drink and Robbie wheezed so hard he fell out of his seat. Bobby laughed behind his hand while Flobby and Ella giggled in an undignified manner. Sportacus sat numbly in his chair, eyes meeting no one’s, his hand half raised. 

“Oh my god, haha! Great first round! It’ll get easier from now on.” Tobby grinned and slid the black card over. His attempt at reassurance was lost on Sportacus, sadly. Robbie climbed back into his chair, still wheezing. 

“ _That_ was absolutely _beautiful_.” 

“That was baaaad.” Sportacus countered, his voice an octave higher than usual. 

“I liked that one.” Ella grinned. Sportacus significantly paled, to which Glanni snorted. “We’re not going to have to donate blood, are we? Because none of us here have elf blood on hand.” 

“No, I should be good.” Sportacus cleared his voice and hid behind his cards. Bobby took that as his chance to read the next black card. Discourse erupted again as Sportacus won the round.

“What the actual fuck.” Glanni drowned the rest of his drink angrily. Robbie shrugged his shoulders, “I told you guys that he had good cards. He’ll probably win the game.”

“I don’t _want_ to win the game.” Sportacus half-laughed. 

“I’ll win for you then.” Robbie grinned. Sportacus managed a half smile back. 

**\------**

“I can’t believe he won the fucking game!” Glanni threw his cards down and rushed into the kitchen, his pink wings shuddering angrily. Robbie was laughing to the point his gut was in pain, while Sportacus sunk so low in his seat he almost fell off it. 

“I didn’t want to wiiiiiinnnnn.” He whined. Robbie wiped his face free of tears and pulled his best friend back into his seat. 

“I can’t believe you won. That was beautiful. Best game I’ve ever played.” Sportacus whined again and Robbie hugged him to mute the sound.

The scores ended up being 17 Sportacus, 16 Glanni, 13 Ella, 12 Robbie, 9 Flobby, 8 Bobby and Tobby. The game lasted almost three hours with a total of 83 rounds. The night was still young, however, as it was only 9:30 at night. Flobby and Tobby packed the game up while Ella and Bobby went to go cut the pies in the kitchen, Glanni drowning himself in soda and alcohol. 

Dessert was served and everyone ate on paper plates in the living room. Sportacus munched on a peach miserably, Robbie still giving him soothing shoulder rubs. Ella plopped herself down, happily eating a blueberry pie. She patted his shoulder and gave a slightly indigo-tinted smile. 

“Thank you for playing with us. I know you were kinda uncomfortable, you didn’t have to play.” 

“Well, sometimes it’s good to get out of your comfort zone.” Sportacus tried to reply. Ella simply raised an eyebrow and he gave a sheepish smile. 

“I had _some_ fun, even if I was a little cringey.” 

Ella laughed around a mouthful of pie. The corners of her eyes crinkled while remembering Sportacus’ face draining while she, for the first time in front of him, read explicit content cards. She scooted closer to him and had her Uncle Bobby turn the channel to FX so they could watch movies. 

Glanni threw himself into the open recliner, plate full and somehow stably holding three pies at once. Robbie watched him quizzically, knowing that Glanni still had no idea how to handle Sportacus. So far, his magical presence was still active. He’d kept it low, only using it to specifically make Sportacus uncomfortable. Robbie frowned in thought, knowing that Glanni’s only interaction with elves was Íþróttaálfurinn, who was vastly different from Sportacus.

Thankfully, though, Glanni hadn’t done too much more than try and make Sportacus uncomfortable. Should the fact that he was related to Íþróttaálfurinn come up, though,….it probably wouldn’t end too well. Robbie hummed around a too sweet cookie and turned back to the elf against his shoulder (they’d been touching so much recently, it still startled him when realizing Sportacus voluntarily leaned against him) in reprieve from his thoughts.

Luck, or karma, or which ever hated him the most, decided to slam a stick up his ass.

“So, Sportacus.” Ella took a bite of her pie innocently. “Is it true that you’re an elf?”

Sportacus froze, a smile stuck on his face. The look of distress in his eyes was identical to that of Robbie’s. Glanni didn’t stop eating his pie, but he paid closer attention.

“Y-yes, I am an elf. Why do you ask, Ella?” Ella didn’t seem to notice the slight shake in his voice, as it was as controlled as Sportacus could make it. She shrugged and pointed towards his hat. 

“Well, I was wondering if you had pointed ears. You’re wearing a hat and I couldn’t tell.” 

“Some elves don’t have pointed ears.” Sportacus tried. Ella almost pouted.

“So you don’t?”

“N-No, I do. I just...don’t like to show them.” This was when Ella picked up on his discomfort. She wanted to ask to see them, but obviously Sportacus was hiding them for a reason. She leaned against his shoulder with a thoughtful hum and finished her pie. The room was almost back to amicable silence when Glanni set his plate aside, fork making a distinct clattering sound against his cup on the coffee table.

“If you don’t mind, I have a question.”

Robbie sat up, wrapping an arm around Sportacus’ shoulders. Immediately any response Sport had died in his throat. They’d never done more than brush sides or sit against each other. Sportacus’ face dissolved into a red mess while he stuttered a yes to Glanni. 

Whether Robbie was trying to assert dominance over Sportacus, or deter him, Glanni couldn’t be sure. There was definitely a testy atmosphere around his brother’s movements. Sadly, they didn’t do too much more than stun and stupefy his boytoy of a ‘friend’. 

“Do you know….an elf named Íþróttaálfurinn?”

Bobby, Tobby, and Flobby stopped eating. They stared at the three men. Ella frowned and shifted, looking between them all. Robbie sat with an open mouth, shocked yet not at all surprised. Sportacus was somewhere between flustered (since Robbie’d moved his head to against his chest as soon as his father’s name left Glanni’s lips) and surprised. He was about to respond when Robbie stood abruptly and pulled Sportacus with him. 

“Wow you know what I really really have to use the bathroom hey Sportacus why don’t I at least show you where it is for later yeah come on we’ll be right back haha continue the conversation!” Robbie dashed to the bathroom and tugged Sportacus in with him, practically slamming the door once they were in.

“What….was that for?”

“

You know, Sportacus…” Robbie rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily. Sportacus was about to ask him what was wrong when he continued speaking. “When Tobby invited you to the meet-up, I was actually kind of excited. I mean, I’m glad we’re friends, and sometimes I can’t stand my family, despite not seeing them in ages. When I said...you’d have to be ‘prepared’ because our family was weird, it was that we like sugar and don’t always get along. I forgot that we’re part fae and I guess now I have to give you a fucking history lesson.” 

“....You don’t have to. I mean, we can just go back and ignore the question.” Sportacus tried to reason. Robbie held up his hand and shook his head, still rubbing his face tiredly. 

“No, no, I better tell you now.” He waited for Sportacus to take a seat on the closed toilet before starting.

“You see, when I was around fourteen or fifteen, a new hero came to town. I’d met Eight before-”

“You’ve met my grandmother?” Sportacus gasped. Robbie stopped for a second, realization hitting him like a truck, before dumbly nodding and then shaking his head.

“Y-yes, not the point. Anyways, new hero, yada yada yada, Glanni was like nineteen and the boys were like eleven or twelve. It was your dad, and he only ever really talked with the children in elementary school. Not that big of a deal. Cue a few years later, I’m seventeen, and a few elementary schoolers had _somehow_ climbed a fucking tree and gotten stuck. Your dad was not even in the damn vicinity so I decided to climb the damn tree and get them down.”

“But Robbie, you hate heights! Weren’t you scared?” Sportacus asked, concerned lacing his tone. Robbie shook his head.

“I wasn’t scared then. A friend of mine had climbed onto a lower branch, since the kids were pretty fucking high up, and we started to hand the kids down the tree. Your dad finally arrives once they’re all safe. But here's the problem, he arrived after we were _done_ and no one was in the tree but me. And that tree branch I sat on just decided to become unstable. There was a lot of cracking. Glanni was on the ground, trying to soothe the scared kids, and when the branch started to break he literally screamed at your dad for help. But, I don’t know, maybe because he was only scared for the kids, or thought that we had it handled, your dad just- flipped the fuck away.”

Sportacus frowned, looking to the tiled ground in thought. It sounded like something his dad would do. He looked back up as Robbie continued. 

“....branch broke and I fell. Glanni was too busy screaming at your dad to catch me, and my friends got hit with the branch. They ended up being ok, somehow, but I broke my arm, a few ribs, and absolutely smashed my lower leg. I think I dislocated my left hip but I can’t remember. Anyways, needless to say, I lost a lot of lacrosse scholarships and I didn’t end up going to college. I spent most of my senior year in recovery.”

“Gosh, Robbie, I- I’m so sorry-”

“Save it, Sportadumb. There’s nothing you could have done about it. The past is the past and that’s that. No, I didn’t go to college. I tried community college once I was recovered but Glanni was hellbent on getting your father back for ruining my life. Changed his last name, got into some dark shit. I ended up taking care of the boys when he disappeared after your father when he left. We didn’t hear much from him for decades. It wasn’t until Ella came around that I found out that the elusive Glanni Glæpur had gotten married, lost his wife after childbirth, and had a three year old kid for me to watch while he did some community service over in Greedytown to severely lessen any sentences he had. You know Greedytown, and their backwards laws. Probably the only reason he isn’t in a federal prison.” 

“Oh….wait, wait, wait, _wait_. Glæpur? As in, _the_ Glanni Glæpur? The one my dad ranted about all the time when he came home?”

Robbie looked at him wide eyed before throwing his hands into the air. “This is literally called the _Rotten-Glæpur_ Winter Meet-up! Who else is named _Glanni Glæpur?!_ ”

“I don’t know! You mentioned to Ella that her dad changed his name, I thought he wasn’t the same person!” 

“Well he is! And Glanni fucking _hates_ elves because of your dad! If you’d’ve told him that he’s your father then there would have been hell to pay from _both_ of us. Probably more you than me, because he would have spun some tale about how you elves had tricked me to get you closer to him to take him into custody or some shit!” 

Sportacus held his head in his hands, groaning lowly. Robbie leaned against the sink counter with a bitter taste in his mouth. He was vaguely listening to Sportacus saying something about his dad when the bathroom door was kicked open. Both men jumped to their feet, Robbie standing in front of Sportacus. 

Glanni stood menacingly in the open door frame. His eyes were narrowed, a deep, ugly frown curling around his features. Sportacus notices his wings glowed his magic, and the pounding in his own skull from Glanni’s pressuring magical presence. Sportacus stood behind Robbie, feeling the low hum of sort-of familiar magic flare to life in protection. 

“I came to see how my brother was doing, since his _low life boy toy_ hadn’t came back to the group yet. And what to I hear? _Íþróttaálfurinn?_ And this is his _son?_ Well how fucking delightful, _actual_ fucking elf scum in my family’s presence-” 

“Glanni, chill the fuck out. He’s not like Íþrótta-”

“Like hell he is!” Glanni snarled. Sportacus suddenly struggled to catch his breath as an angry wave of magic smacked against his chest through Robbie’s defenses. 

“He’s the son of the very _elf who ruined your life!_ You’re just going to run around all higgledy piggledy and make friends with his son, despite that?! He ruined your _life_ Robbie, what ever happened to going to college on that giant lacrosse scholarship and making it big? Huh? You were fucking set and then _he_ came and _ruined everything!_ ” 

Robbie had to reach behind him and grab Sportacus to make sure he was breathing. Glanni was seething, his hate for Sportacus’ father burning bright. In the moment, though, it was barely a speck compared to the amount of anger that flooded Robbie’s veins. 

“ _Tone down your magic or I’ll fucking do it for you_. Listen closely, _Glanni Rotten_. I forgave Íþróttaálfurinn when you decided to fucking leave me in charge of three high school boys. I forgave him when I learned to live on my own. I forgave him when I realized that I could still live, even if it wasn’t the path I had dreamed of. I think you got stuck in revenge and grew to like being a criminal, _a villian_. The only reason I fell into a rut like you did was because I got severely depressed when I tried and failed online college. Ever since Íþróttaálfurinn disappeared and Ella was born, you’ve actually been a tolerable fucking brother, because hell knows that for almost thirty years I could have thought you were dead and lived with the thought never bothering me. So I only have one thing to fucking tell you: _I forgave and forgot. I advise it is time for you to do the same, because you finally grew up, and I’m not about to let you ruin your life, your daughter’s life, my life, or_ Sportacus’ life just because you’re intent on petty revenge. Stand down- now.” 

The only sound in the bathroom was that of harsh panting. Sportacus because for the first half of that rant he couldn’t breathe. Somewhere around Ella’s mentioning all pressure had dissipated, leaving only Robbie’s lashing magic in the air. Sportacus watched as Robbie leaned against the wall and slid down it. Glanni looked crumpled in the door frame, swinging softly with the uneven weight on the door. 

“.....Are you going to leave him alone now?” Robbie rasped. He looked up to Glanni, who folded his wings in and nodded. Sportacus stood up on wobbly feet and extended a hand to Glanni. 

“...Hello. My name is Sportacus 10. I...I’m an elf, and I guess the son of your arch nemesis. I’m best friends with your little brother and I would like to stay on good terms with his family. Um...if it helps, I would never hurt anybody, or leave them because it looks like somebody isn’t in trouble...and I really like your wings.”

Glanni stared at the calloused outstretched hand distrustfully. Finally, something in his demeanor shifted and he hesitantly took the tip of Sportacus’ grasp in a sickly handshake. 

“...Glanni Glæpur. I hate your dad but… so long as you don’t hurt my family, or anybody in trouble...then I can tolerate you. I think. Thank you for the complement. Your taste in fashion isn’t terrible, by the way.” 

Sportacus beamed and looked back to Robbie. They both stared at him expectantly. Robbie gave a soft huff and shook his head. “I want a conversation with the two of you tomorrow before we leave. To make sure we’re clear on a few things. Thank you. For...coming to an agreement. And for chilling out, Glanni.” 

Glanni stayed silent. Sportacus was helping Robbie up when Ella skipped in. 

“Whoa, why’s the door kicked in? We felt a magical spike and some sort of a wall, and a large sound, and a lot of shouting. Did something happen?”

“...No, sweetie. Nothing important. Go back to the living room, we’ll be back in a second.” Glanni gave his daughter a hug and a quick kiss to her crown before sending her off. Glanni and Robbie magically fixed the broken door while Sportacus watched. They all returned to the living room, where the triplets asked concerned questions and Robbie explained it would be a story for later. 

They all went back to watching the movie. If Robbie and Glanni argued, it was civilized. Sportacus held a small conversation with Glanni, and the winged man didn’t fidget when his daughter climbed in between Sportacus and Robbie for a better seat during the movie. He didn’t protest when Sportacus decided to share the last guest bedroom with his brother instead of sleeping on the airship. Instead, the three of them returned to their rooms late at night and collapsed in exhausted heaps and slept immediately. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey ya'll! Ye made it to the end of the chapter, good on you man! It was quite the long one, wasn't it? God knows I loved writing this chapter, it was fun to see all the interactions! Glanni's a protective lil shit, the boys are beautiful, and Ella is a wonderful lil doll. 
> 
> To clarify a few things, Robbie's mother was full fae, their father fully human. Glanni and Tobby got fae genes for wings, while everyone else did not. Those two are the strongest magicians in the family. Robbie and Flobby are the next greatest, with Robbie leading. Bobby has only the basics in magic, nothing more. In thought, Ella'd get wings when she's sixteen, and be magicians like Robbie or Flobby. 
> 
> Also, the only reason Glanni told Sport that he has nice fashion is because he was wearing an outfit from Robbie's birthday present.
> 
> Well thank you all so much for reading! I very much appreciate it. Have a wonderful day/night :)


	10. Chapter Nine

It was half an hour after sunrise when Sportacus and Robbie made their way into the kitchen. Soft orange light flooded through the new windows, casting a dream-like coating to the white cupboards and countertop. Wordlessly, the two men began to make coffee. 

Sportacus was munching on some toast he’d just made when Glanni shuffled into the kitchen. Robbie and Sportacus blinked at him, Glanni shrugging tiredly. 

“He’s not the only insomniac in the family.” He mumbled, jerking a thumb in Robbie’s direction. Sportacus frowned while Robbie hummed, knowing the very true statement. 

“How early have you been up since?” Robbie asked in a purposely hushed tone. Ella and the boys were still sleeping; they wouldn’t be up until around ten. 

“Four thirty, I think. You?”

“Three forty-five.” 

Sportacus handed Robbie some toast, silently urging him to eat something other than an early morning cookie. Robbie obliged with a grunt as thanks. 

They all sat around the table in silence. This lasted for about an hour, just waking up and enjoying the morning. Sportacus was glad he was able to sit still for once. The strong black coffee he had made was still potent in his nose, even long after he’d finished it. The smell of Robbie’s own coffee, with a large helping of vanilla creamer, also lingered in the air. Sportacus tried not to look horrified every time Glanni took a sip of the soda he’d poured himself. Really, who drank _soda_ at nine thirty in the _morning_?

Glanni shot an absent minded glance at the clock before back looking to the now yellow-lit kitchen. He turned back to the men beside him and said, “We should make breakfast. Boys made dinner last night. They’d appreciate the gesture.” 

“What do you suggest on making? Remember, Sportaloser over here can’t have sugar.” 

“I don’t know, waffles or pancakes? I’m sure you know a sugar-free recipe for pancakes.” 

Robbie sighed loudly and nodded, “I do, I do. But before we start, I think we better have that conversation I mentioned last night.” 

The atmosphere before had been tolerant. There was a crack of stress there, but it was left to lie and be ignored. After Robbie spoke, however, they all had to shift in their seats at the drastic difference. The air felt thicker, light a little less bright. Sportacus thought he felt Glanni’s magic silently spark to life, hidden by the quiver of his wings. He gently summoned any magic he had in case things got ugly. He’d learned from last night. Robbie noticed their sparks and gave a gruff growl.

“Stop that. Both of you calm down. I think we should just talk and get a few things sorted out to avoid any mishaps in the future, understand? I think maybe Glanni can go first.”

Glanni frowned at being put in the spotlight so early in the morning, but he let it go with a sip of soda. For the first moment he thought, didn’t make eye contact. When he started to speak, he kept a steady gaze with Sportacus. 

“Let me just start out by saying….I’m not the biggest advocate for elves-”

“Obviously.”

“Hush, Robbie. I thought you wanted me to speak. Anyways,” Glanni drawled out his tone in extra thought, “I’m not the biggest advocate because the only elves I’ve ever met have been assholes. They’ve hurt people or families. I was angry when Robbie brought you, an obvious elf, to the meet-up. Your magical aura was so significantly... _elfy_ \- I just noticed it straight away. Tobby managed to convince me to give you a chance later after a conversation, but well. I sort of lost it last night.” 

“How come you asked about my dad?” Sportacus gently cut in. Glanni’d stopped making eye contact about half way through, only now letting his eyes trail back to the dirty-blond haired elf. Silence continued for another moment.

“....Ella was curious about your ears, and I just...I don’t know, the last elf she asked that question to was your dad. A long time ago. It hit me in that moment that you looked familiar. Like your dad. I guess I just wanted confirmation. I didn’t like the answer I got, in the end.” 

Sportacus nodded. Even now, people still told him he looked like his father. It was embarrassing, to an extent. He quickly covered the blush over his cheeks. 

“Um….Speaking of my dad, uh...I wanted to apologize- I know it won’t do any good- but I wanted to apologize about the whole tree incident, and him not catching Robbie. I don’t….he mainly focused on the kids, so he probably thought the incident was covered….Obviously it wasn’t, but still.”

Glanni nodded. “At least one of you heroes have a sense of heart.” 

“I guess it’s my turn, now.” Robbie concluded the last conversation as over with and started a new one. He stretched in his chair, voice a slight octave higher as he spoke. 

“I would like to apologize for not telling Sportacus that we’re part fae. Or for telling him about you, I guess. I knew who his dad was, and I knew the history that transpired. I guess I thought if everything went _well_ , which, never does, that I wouldn’t have to explain it all to him.” 

“....If we’re doing apologies now, then I guess I’m sorry for all the magical pressure I’ve been applying.” Glanni aimed another look at Sportacus before staring at the sugary surface of the fizzing soda. “ For most of the evening, I was beginning to accept that you’re Robbie’s friend and that the boys and Ella liked you, so I was finally starting to feel a little more comfortable. But then I just got this huge burst of protectionism and lashed out. Sometimes I hate your father more than other days. I just exploded this time around.” Glanni shrugged, taking a sip of his coke casually.

“Apology accepted.” Sportacus smiled, only slightly forced. 

“Well, one thing I guess I’d like to make clear.” Robbie grabbed the attention again, looking between the two of them seriously. “I intend to stay friends with Sportacus, so no angry lashing at him. And to the both of you, no silly little magic spark fights, or using the house wards to fuel their magical presence.” The last one was aimed at Glanni, who only smirked in response. 

“Sounds great to me. Nothing I’d like to add.” Sportacus stood up and dropped his coffee cup off in the sink. He then rummaged around the kitchen and began to get ingredients out for pancakes. 

“Hey. Ready to grow up now?” Robbie touched his foot to Glanni’s shin. Glanni looked him over, suddenly wondering just _when_ his little brother had grown up without him. The sudden emotion was off setting to his snarky outwards attitude. He frowned and looked down again.

“......Yeah.” 

“No more revenge?”

“Nope. I’ve got a family and a little girl to continue raising- and probably fuck up somewhere along the line.” The brothers shared laughs and smiles before Robbie got up to help Sportacus. Glanni stayed sitting, sipping his soda. He snorted suddenly while looking at the two working men over his glass brim.

“What’s so funny?” Robbie asked.

“I just realized that you two are so gay for eachother.” 

“What?!”

“ _Excuse_ me?” Robbie whipped his head around and blinked dramatically. Sportacus was beet red, the same color blush as Robbie. Glanni laughed and tried not to choke on chemicals and sugar. 

“It just hit me. Really not sorry, but sorry.”

“I-I don’t think our relationship is like that-”

“Exactly! We’re nothing more than friends, Glanni.” Robbie affirmed quickly. The conversation died as he set to working on whisking the pancake mix. It helped to settle the knot that formed in his chest while he repeated the words over in his mind. Glanni sat unconvinced, rolling his eyes, but shrugged and let the topic die.

The only sound for twenty minutes was the making of pancakes and Glanni sipping the last of his coke. As it began to near ten in the morning, Robbie left his post at the stove, leaving Sportacus to cook the last half of the pancakes. 

“I’m going to go wake everyone up. I better not come back to bickering.” He warned before disappearing into the too-bright house.

“Okay, coast clear. Tell me, Elfy. Do you like my brother?” Glanni wasted no time in turning his chair around and leaning on the backing, a sly look crossing his features. Sportacus squinted before nodding confidently.

“Of course! Robbie is a great friend-”

“Nonono, I mean...do you _like_ like my brother?”

“O-oh.” Sportacus flushed a deeper shade than he should have and nervously poked a sizzling pancake. “Well...uh….”

“Spit it out! Before he comes back. I want to know what fresh hell I’m working with here.” 

Sportacus bit his lip hesitantly. Over the course of the winter, he thought his crush for Robbie had relaxed. However, the man still seemed to haunt his every waking moment, or was what he tended to fall asleep thinking about. That meant his crush was still there, right? Of course, though, he wouldn’t do anything that would _ruin_ his relationship with Robbie, or his _chances_ for a better one. 

“W-well, I mean...yes? I know I have a crush on him-”

“I fucking knew it.” Glanni grinned, eyes narrowed, white teeth flashing in the morning light. If Sportacus didn’t know any better, he’d think that Glanni looked like a satisfied hunter with it’s cornered prey. Sportacus wasn’t sure whether Glanni seemed happy that he had a crush on Robbie, or just satisfied that he’d gotten some possible blackmail material on him. 

“D-don’t tell him! I barely have this whole emotion thing figured out- I- I’m not the best with emotions. He’s the first crush I’ve had in like a decade, so…”

Glanni huffed with a dramatic eye roll. Sportacus saw more Robbie in the action than he should have. “Of course I won’t tell him. It’s understandable, anyways, that you wouldn’t know how to handle a crush. Love never unwinds itself in the way that you might think. One minute you’re not in love, the next you are, and then you are and not and back and forth all over again. I doubt he has any understanding of his own feelings for you, platonic or romantic, whatever they may be. I’d say give it time.”

“You really think so?” Sportacus asked. He hated the slight waver to his tone, except he couldn’t seem to stop the anxiety pouring from him. Glanni just nodded, silently pointing to the doorway as Robbie walked in with a happy Ella skipping in behind him. 

“Good morning dad, Sportacus.” She gave Glanni a hug, a kiss to her crown in return. Sportacus returned her morning greeting with more enthusiasm than strictly necessary, just happy he was off the topic of his developing love life. It was also relieving to see that Glanni didn’t hate Sportacus for having a crush on his brother. He seemed more or less happy about it, actually. Sportacus wasn’t sure if he wanted to know why, so instead he stuck to finishing the pancakes. 

“Thank you for making breakfast.” Ella grabbed chocolate chip pancakes and poured a Rotten-Glæpur amount of syrup over them. She took Robbie’s seat at the table, next to her father, and began eating. The three already awake adults grabbed their shares, and everyone welcomed the boys to the land of the living once the trio entered the kitchen. 

Sportacus, despite his uncertainty of his place in Robbie’s life, Robbie in his, and his position in this family, decided that he wanted to come back next year, should it be permitted. This was a family that he could learn to love exponentially. The fact was only proven true when Ella accidentally got syrup on Robbie’s cheek, and watched as the two smeared syrup on the corners of each other’s mouths. 

Sportacus laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners. Glanni, ever the mischievous one, flung a bite of pancake off his fork. It smacked into Robbie’s forehead, comically sliding down his nose while looking flabbergasted at his elder sibling. Everyone laughed as the two bickered. Sportacus mirthfully ate another bite of his breakfast, definitely hoping to be asked back next year. 

**\------**

“Thanks for coming! Hope to see you guys soon.” Bobby grinned lopsidedly at Robbie and Sportacus after a tight hug. Robbie murmured something noncommittally while Sportacus smiled as bright as the sun.

“Of course! Thank you so much for having me, I had a lot of fun!” 

Sportacus then got a tight hug from Tobby, who’d tricked him into it by pulling Sport in from a handshake. While Robbie was hugging his elder brother goodbye, Flobby decided to tackle-hug Sportacus. It sent the elf off-balanced for a second, but he quickly regained his footing and laughed. 

“Careful Flobby, you almost knocked me over!” The smallest Rotten Triplet beamed at him and signed something that Sportacus could only assume was an apology. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand you Flobby.” It was probably the twentieth time he’d said that to Flobby, who always shrugged with an optimistic smile. This time, however, Flobby leaned over to the coffee table and picked up a book. He handed it out to Sportacus, who took it in one hand and read the cover. _Sign Language for Dummies: A Beginners Guide._

“Sign Language for….Oh wow, Flobby! Thank you! I’ll be sure to practice often, every day, even! Next time we meet I’ll be able to have a conversation with you- or fragments of one.” Sportacus laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. Flobby took this well and clapped his hands, tilting his head and smiling even wider. 

“My turn! Good-bye Sportacus!” Ella popped up on Sportacus’ side, hugging him tightly. She grinned up at him, eyes bright. Her goofy giggles were infectious, and Sportacus found himself laughing as he hugged her back.

“Good-bye Ella, it was very nice to meet you! Perhaps you’ll stop by your Uncle Robbie’s house soon, and I can see you again.” 

“That would be ah-maze-ing! I haven’t been to Lazytown in years, either. Isn’t it being expanded?” 

“It is. The northern east and west sides of town are being expanded into a suburb.” Ella stepped away from the hug with a soft ‘ohhh’, nodding her head in understanding. 

Glanni strided forward, poking Sportacus’ shoulder and startling the elf. Ella giggled besides him, Glanni grinning what could only be described as a shark’s smile. Sportacus blushed in embarrassment and gave him a small, slightly strained one in return.

“Hello Glanni…”

“Hello, Elfy. It seems you’ve survived the meet-up, somehow. The entire house was practically filled with sugars, I’m surprised the smell of it in the air didn’t send you sleeping.” Glanni clucked his tongue, as though disappointed.

“Well, the air is rather thick, but I think that’s because of the Fae territory ordeal. Besides, the boys made me a salad bar.” 

“Ahhh, that’s right, they did. Anywho,” Glanni turned his nose to the ceiling and twirled his wrists, signalling a new conversation topic,“you’ll be leaving soon. Probably for the best, too. I’m not sure how much longer I can stand the feeling of your aura. Infuriating, to say the least.” 

Sportacus had to laugh at the sarcasm in his voice, but stopped abruptly when Glanni wrapped his arm around him and tugged their heads close together. 

“So help me God, you hurt my little brother, or my family- even break Robbie’s heart, _I’ll hunt you down and-_ ”

“Glanni, why are you murmuring?”

“I’m not, Robbie! Just talking with Sportacus.” Glanni flashed a too-toothy grin to his brother before turning back to the anxious elf besides him.

“You get what I mean. Don’t break his heart. He doesn’t love easily. Treat him nicely- he needs it. As long as he, and my family, like you, then I guess I don’t absolutely abhor you.” 

Sportacus stood silent for a second, letting everything sink in. He nodded slowly and then smirked. “Okay, Glanni. I like you too.”

“H-Hey now! That does not mean, under any circumstances, that I _like_ you-”

“Of course not, Dad. Doesn’t mean _he_ can’t like you, though.” Ella rolled her eyes before attacking Sportacus in another hug. She liked him very much, and was sad to see him leave. The only good part was that he lived in town with her Uncle, so there was another reason to visit often.

“Good-bye, Uncle Sportacus!” She squeaked, rather loudly. All the adults stopped for a second, taken aback. If Glanni’d had anything in hand, it probably would have been broken. He settled for instinctively opening and closing his fists. Sportacus, on the other hand, beamed widely. He was practically viewed as family by her already. It send a warm wave of love crashing over his heart. He laughed softly, amused by the panicked recovery Ella was trying to make. 

“I-I’m sorry- It just slipped- I didn’t- I hadn’t-”

“Ella, Ella! It’s okay.” Sportacus smiled down and hugged her tighter. “Everybody slips up once in awhile, and that’s perfectly fine. I’m actually flattered that you view me like that. Anyways, I look forward to when you visit Robbie.” He winked down at her and sent a teasing grin Glanni’s way, who narrowed his eyes and grumbled. 

Robbie saw that Sportacus had given everybody their good-byes and huffed softly. He wrapped his scarf tighter around his neck and pulled his elf away. 

“Alright boys, we’ll be leaving now. If Hero Boy over here doesn’t get back to Lazytown soon, _they’ll_ throw a fit and _he_ just might go crazy. It was wonderful to see you all, but we’ll be leaving.” 

Robbie tugged them through the front door, ignoring the harsh winter chill that instantly seeped into his bones. Sportacus had trouble actually getting through the door, constantly waving and saying good-bye. A particular rough pull had him stumbling down the steps, grinning like an idiot. 

“You’re face is going to freeze like that, one day. You’ll be smiling forever.”

“Good! I only want to spread cheer and happiness, Robbie. I’d be okay if my face froze in a smile forever.” Robbie scoffed and rolled his eyes, still cautiously looking out for ice on the ground.

“They like you, you know. A lot.”

“Yeah? You really think so?”

“Are you kidding me? I’m surprised everything ended so nicely. They’ll probably ask you back for next year.” Robbie couldn’t help but smile at that thought. Another thought that consisted of Sportacus attending every year afterwards also sent a happy, partially flustered feeling spiraling in his chest. 

Sportacus couldn’t help but hum under Robbie’s words. If he was asked back next year, he’d accept without hesitation. Robbie suddenly stopped besides him, and Sportacus cocked his head in confusion.

“Why’d you stop at the end of the driveway? Aren’t we walking to the bus stop? It’s still another two blocks.”

“Uh...what if we take the airship back? I still absolutely _detest_ your flying blimp, but it’s faster, and I'm not in the mood to sit through public transportation. There’s a park by the bus stop that should be big enough for you to land so I can get on-”

Sportacus laughed softly. Robbie stopped and raised an eyebrow. Still chuckling, Sportacus whispered, “You do realize the ladder has an ‘up’ function, right? You won’t even have to climb it, and I won’t have to land.” 

Robbie took a moment to narrow his eyes at the suggestion. They’d be up _high_ , _swaying_ with the wind. A shudder passed through him but it dissolved into butterflies when Sportacus grinned at him. In a sparse moment of bravery, Robbie decided that _maybe_ he could do it.

“Don’t worry Robbie, you can get on the ladder first. That way, you’ll be the first one on the airship, and I’ll be right behind you.” ‘ _Incase you fall_ ’ was left unsaid. 

Robbie squinted so hard Sportacus began to worry. Before he could speak any concerns, Robbie spoke up and shook his head. “Fine, fine. Call down you’re stupid ladder. It better retract fast- I’m not in the mood to be a victim of harsh winds and gravity.” 

“Don’t worry Robbie, it’ll be over with before you know it! Ladder!” 

The familiar white ladder fell down, dancing with the wind. It took Sportacus, Tobby, and Bobby ten minutes to get Robbie high enough on it so that Sportacus had room to stand. Robbie trembled against the rungs, and only temporarily calmed when Sportacus placed a hand on his ankle. He started shivering again when the ladder started to move and Sport moved his hand to wave good-bye to the shrinking Rotten-Glæpur family members. 

After what seemed like an eternity, Sportacus patted Robbie’s leg.“Robbie... Robbie! Open your eyes. The platform is right besides you.”

Robbie inched an eye open, seeing they were as high as the ladder could take them. After two intensely anxious moments, he clung to the platform pole and waited for Sportacus to lift them inside. Even then, Sportacus called down his exercise pole for him to hug while they flew back to Lazytown.

There was mild turbulence and Robbie looked sick. It was all for the better, he kept telling himself, as the forty-five minute bus drive was reduced to twenty minutes via airship. This didn’t ward off the occasional nauseous gag, but it’d be worth it in the end just to be home faster. 

As Sportacus peddled, he made sure to speak comforting words to Robbie. In the end, they both relaxed in soft conversation. Robbie ended up wishing the flight home was longer, purely just to hear Sportacus’ voice a little more. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sort of a filler-ish chapter, but it picks up more in the next one! It actually ended up taking a harsher turn into reality, more so than I'd originally thought, so I'm working on making it a lil fluffier. As of right now, I'm pretty comfortable writing with what I'm working with, and I'm super excited for the next chapters! 
> 
> Also, thank everybody for the comments! I laughed at all the ones I received from last chapter- they're all so good. They helped to pick up my day once or twice. I just- I love ya'll so much!! 
> 
> Alright, well thank you all for reading! I hope you all have a wonderland day/night :)


	11. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick warning, there are a few paragraphs of a retelling of a verbal/physical abusive event. Other than that, this chapter is like any other normal chapter. Please read with caution, if this doesn't sit well with you. Other than that, enjoy the chapter today, guys :)

“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay?” Sportacus looked down at Robbie, sitting half on his chair. They stood on his stargazing platform on his roof, under the stars and dazzling moonlight. If Robbie didn’t look so dead tired or distressed, Sportacus would think of him as his beautiful angel. 

“Yes, I’m sure. It’s only nine, you can still make it back to your airship and fall asleep.”

“But Robbie, what about you?” 

“Don’t worry Sportanerd, I’m fine. I’ll probably make myself food then try and sleep again.” 

Prior to their conversation, Robbie’d fallen asleep around seven thirty. Everything was well until he dreamed of Sportacus and woke up. Then he thought about him, his stupid hair, beautiful muscles, bright smile. Thought about _kissing_ him, and _holding_ or _cuddling_ him. The pressing thought that he’d never get such beautiful realities was distressing, so cue Sportacus running down from his airship. He found Robbie, on his roof, trying to stop crying and relax under the stars. 

After an hour of soothing shoulder rubs, holding, and soft conversations with Robbie, Sportacus had deemed that he was ‘okay’. It was a broad term, but Robbie looked close to dropping off the face of the earth from exhaustion. Still, his mustache twitched in apprehension. He didn’t want to leave Robbie all alone.

“Really, Sportadumb. I’ll be fine.” Robbie’s tone left no room for argument, causing the elf to sigh and reluctantly nod his head. 

“Alright, okay, fine, Robbie. I’ll go home. But you better go to bed after you eat!” This time it was his tone who left no space for bickering, to which Robbie shook his head. He stood up and ushered Sportacus down the rickety staircase, back into his house and to the doorway. Sportacus turned and stole a hug on the porch, looking concerned and worried. He took off running, flipping through town. Robbie would have watched him climb the ladder with what little light there was, but he grew impatient and went back inside. 

A box of macaroni and cheese was thrown onto the counter. Robbie was texting Flobby something while the water boiled when the doorbell rang. At first, Robbie decided to ignore it. It was late at night and he wasn’t in the mood for social interactions. It was only when the knocking started and panicked sobs could be heard that Robbie furrowed his brows and made a beeline for the door. 

Robbie was taken aback at the sight he saw. Before him stood Stingy, shaking with sobs. His normal quiffed hair was flat, eyes rimmed red. He was sniffled and trying to murmur apologies but Robbie didn’t hear them. He was concentrating on the overnight bag that looked hastily packed and the computer bag on Stingy’s shoulder. Stingy never brought his computer outside his house, claiming it would get broken. Seeing as he’d taken it, Robbie took this as serious. 

“-and I know it’s late- a-a-and I d-don’t want to bother you- b-but please, M-Mister Rotten-”

“Get inside, come on now.” Robbie ushered the boy in quickly, looking around outside. His parents were nowhere in sight, no fancy car either. Had Stingy ran all the way from the new suburbs, where his parents’ new mansion was? The thought was concerning, seeing as it was about ten degrees Fahrenheit outside and had a possibility of snowing.

“Th-thank you, M-m-m-mister Rot-ten.” Stingy hiccuped. Robbie was about to bend down and ask what was wrong when the phone rang. 

“Call from: Spendthrift, Bill. Call from: Spendthrift, Bill.” The womanly AI voice of his answering machine exclaimed. Robbie frowned deeply and stood back up. Stingy immediately threw himself around Robbie’s waist, pleading and crying even harder. A steely determination boiled in Robbie’s stomach. He placed a hand on Stingy’s head to calm him and answered the phone.

“Hello? Mrs. Spendthrift, wonderful to-...yes, Stingy is here...No, no. Not a bother at all, he never is...No, I was just making myself some food. I was about to offer him a meal….Mrs. Spendthrift, I assure you, Stingy is welcome in my home, he isn’t a burden at all….Picking him up wouldn’t be necessary, Mrs. Spendthrift. It’s getting rather late, and by the time dinner would be done it’d be very, very late. He can stay the night-.....How’s this, then. I’ll bring him home as soon as he wakes up tomorrow morning. I assure you he’s welcome in my home…...alright then, Mrs. Spendthrift. Have a nice night.”

Robbie hung up faster than strictly necessary. Stingy still cowered at his waist, now calmer knowing he wasn’t being forced back home. Robbie squared his jaw and bent down to his level. 

“Wanna tell me why you ran all the way here? Your mom sounded frantic and I could hear your dad screaming in the background.” 

Stingy stayed quiet, refusing to meet his eyes. After a moment, his lip wobbled and he nodded. “I-I was having P-Pixel spend the night- a-and we were talking and he mentioned he had a crush o-on Stephanie, then he asked i-if I had a crush a-and..” He trailed off, gulping down air and trying not to shiver and cry. “A-and I said n-no, but I thought that m-my cousin’s best f-friend was cute. Th-...they’re a boy,” Stingy started to tear up again, “a-a-a-and-and-”

“It’s okay, just breathe Stingy. Tell me when you can breathe.” 

Robbie rubbed the boy’s shoulders while listening to his deep, erratic breathing. He made sure to keep quiet when Stingy started talking again.

“P-pixel said that h-he didn’t expect me to be g-gay, and I asked him what that was, because _I_ didn’t know. S-so he told me, and he mentioned that he was b-bi, so we s-started to research some LGBTQ stuff. A-and I was saying to him that I m-might be either gay or b-bisexual, when m-my dad walked by a-a-a-and- and-”

“Shhh, shhh. Breathe again. Now tell me, what did your dad do?” Robbie was frowning deeply, already hating the way this was going. Bill Spendthrift went to school with Bobby, Tobby, and Flobby, but from the stories he remembered, he remembered Bill was an asshole. Stingy was vastly different from his dad, and from his step-mother. He hoped the story wasn’t as bad as he thought it was. 

“M-My dad...h-he kicked open the door a-and started screaming at us-”

“Do you know what he screamed?”

“I-I didn’t understand most of it. S-slurs and curses, I think?” Robbie swore violently under his breath. He held Stingy tighter and motioned for him to continue.

“S-so he was y-yelling at us, and my mom walked by...a-and she started freaking out, then P-pixel was being forced to go home. Th-then d-dad was yelling at me, a-and he grabbed me-”

“He _what?_ ” Robbie asked.

“G-grabbed me, and shook me-”

“Did he hit you? Hurt you?” Robbie looked at Stingy with a serious, yet deeply concerned look. Stingy gulped down a few breaths of air and shook his head.

“M-my arm is sore b-but he didn’t h-hit me, or anything. B-but, I was scared! M-mom was screaming, and dad was yelling, and then they were fighting. I was crying really badly and they left to scream in the foyer b-but I couldn’t- I couldn’t stay! I- I didn’t feel safe! S- Sportacus always tells us to go to a s-safe place when we feel in danger and I immediately thought of h-here. Please, Mister Rotten- please don’t send me home! I don’t want to go home!” 

Stingy was full on crying now, shuddering violently and sobbing grossly. He was pleading and begging, which was muffled by Robbie’s shoulder as the adult tugged him into a firm hug. His hand gently flitted through Stingy’s hair, his other rubbing his small shoulders. Soft shushes and gentle words calmed Stingy down. Robbie pulled away only when he wasn’t shuddering anymore. 

“I may have been a villain for a while. But I am no criminal. I would never send you back to that, Stingy. If you absolutely feel safe here, then stay. I am by no means throwing you out. On the contrary, I’m welcoming you into my home.” 

Stingy calmed down considerably. He nodded numbly, leaning his head on Robbie’s shoulder. Suddenly, Robbie could hear the water boiling and swore softly. Stingy furrowed his brows in confusion but followed wordlessly when Robbie herded him into the kitchen. 

“Have you eaten dinner yet tonight?”

A gentle nod.

“Do you want some macaroni and cheese?” 

Another nod, this time hesitant. Robbie pursed his lips and added the noodles. While they cooked he sat down next to Stingy at the table. They didn’t speak, rather Robbie continued to rub his shoulders in comfort. When the noodles were done Robbie stood back up and finished preparing their meal. 

“Come over and get your food.” Robbie held out a bowl to Stingy, who hopped off the chair and gingerly took the plastic offered. Robbie had a spoon leaning in the pot, to which Stingy took and gave himself a just-smaller-than-medium sized amount. Robbie took the last of it from the pot, eating already as he followed Stingy back to the living room. 

While Stingy sat stiffly on the giant couch, Robbie sunk into it’s fluffy cushions. He beckoned for him to come closer, resting his arm around Stingy protectively. 

“You look very uncomfortable. And I know that’s vague, since you’ve just gone through something traumatic. I’m not...the best with these situations. Is there anything you want to do that would make you comfortable?”

Stingy listened to Robbie’s carefully picked words. He bit his lip and nodded, uncharacteristically quiet. He may be selfish, but rarely was he this silent. 

“U-um….Trixie has explained YouTube before, right?”

“YouTube? Yeah, I know what it is. Didn’t have to have her explain. What about it?”

“Uh...Some people make a living off of making videos. They get paid and it’s their job. Some people play videogames...Pixel showed me this one guy, his name’s Mark. Can...we watch some of his videos? He makes me laugh a lot…”

Robbie nodded his approval, currently chewing a bite of food. He gave a vocal affirmation once done, watching Stingy shimmy his bags off finally. Once the computer was dug out, Stingy typed a few things and clicked on his Mark guy’s channel. MarkiplierGames, the channel title read. Stingy gave him one last look, tenuously asking for permission. Robbie gave it and scooted closer to get a better view. 

“ _Hello everybody, my name is Markiplier and welcome to…._ ” Robbie blinked his eyes, adjusting to the booming voice. He didn’t say anything, however, as Stingy was already visibly relaxed. 

Robbie was only half paying attention, but was caught off guard as Mark started to yell. Stingy chuckled, though, so Robbie took it as a good sign. He had to admit that everything was well edited, and that it was kinda funny. When Stingy started to recite something, Robbie guessed that he’d seen the video before. It must have been a good one, Robbie mused, for him to rewatch it. 

The video ended before Robbie knew it was even over. They’d finished their macaroni early on, bowls sitting on Robbie’s half-forgotten coffee table. Stingy sat his laptop down on it as well and fidgeted. 

“Is it okay if we watch another video? I don’t want to make you uncomfortable-”

“If you want to watch another video, then by all means click another one. I have to admit, he was kinda amusing. But we’re watching these for your comfort, not mine.” Stingy sat dumbly for a second before breaking into the biggest grin Robbie’d seen him ever grin. The laptop was pulled back and Robbie startled when Stingy snuggled into his side. Robbie flushed softly but relaxed, because Stingy was finally happy and in safe hands. 

**\------**

After fifteen Markiplier videos, two bowls each of chocolate ice cream, an hour researching the LGBTQ communities for questions that Robbie couldn’t answer, and a five minute break for changing into pj’s and bathroom breaks, Robbie leaned over and closed Stingy’s laptop. It was close to dying, but that was okay since Stingy was half asleep against his side. 

Stingy stirred and whined softly, displeased that Robbie’d turn their entertainment off. The adult wouldn’t have it, though, and instead slung Stingy’s bags over his shoulders and picked up his computer. “Let’s get you to bed. It’s far later than you should be up.” 

“But I don’t _want_ to go to bed…”

“I think it’d be better if you did. Come on, up the stairs.” Robbie watched Stingy grumpily climb the stairs to the small second floor that housed Robbie’s room. Normally, Robbie would have him, Trixie, or the both of them share the living room. Tonight, however, Robbie felt it’d be better if Stingy slept in a _comfy_ , comfy bed. Relaxed as he may be now, tomorrow morning everything would rush back to him. Waking up in a cozy bed could be the difference between a breakdown and learning to accept life and live on.

“This is your bed though…”

“Yeah, and you’ll be sleeping here.” Robbie unceremoniously dropped Stingy’s bags onto the left side of the bed. At his desk he sat down the laptop and fished around for Stingy’s charger cord from the overnight bag. Stingy shifted awkwardly from foot to foot as he watched.

“Mister Rotten-”

“Robbie.”

“...Robbie, I don’t want to steal your bed-”

“Stingy, I want you to sleep in my bed tonight. It’ll be better for tomorrow.” Robbie walked over and ruffled the boy’s hair. Stingy huffed but eventually smiled. Still, he hesitantly climbed in and looked up to the former-villain uncertainly. 

“I’ll stay by your side, alright? Just go to sleep, Stingy. Everything will be okay.” Robbie tucked the eleven year old in, leaving a hand on his shoulder. Stingy gave him one more once over before finally closing his eyes. Robbie was relieved to find he was asleep within minutes. 

**\------**

At eight thirty in the morning, Robbie turned his head towards the stairs. The old wood was rickety and alerted anyone in the vicinity that someone was using them. Robbie took a sip of his heavy creamer-laden coffee and gave Stingy a warm good morning.

“Good morning, Robbie.” Stingy shuffled over, unsure what to say or do. Instead he curled up on the end of the couch and carefully looked over the adult. Robbie raised an eyebrow.

“Um….I know you told my mom you’d bring me home once I was up but….could you not take me back yet?” Oh, the quiver in the voice. The nervous, flitting eyes, and don’t think that Robbie missed his uncomfortable fidgeting. It made a fire burn in his chest and Robbie found himself frowning. 

“Don’t worry Stingy, I can bring you back later. I’m more worried about feeding you and seeing how you’re holding up.”

“Alright, thank you, Robbie.”

“It’s no problem, Stingy. Mind telling me how you’re feeling?”

For a moment, the adolescent was quiet. Then, “I don’t really know….I feel good that...I understand myself, and that I know what I am….but I’m afraid to go home. My parents aren’t the most supportive people, now that I think about it. I’m afraid of what will happen once I leave.” 

When Stingy started to shake, Robbie set his coffee down and pulled the boy into a tight hug. He let him cry, because crying, especially in this sort of situation, was more than alright. He rubbed his back and gave comforting words. Stingy was murmuring into his shoulder, apologies and excuses. Robbie shushed him again and held him tight. 

“-a-a-and, I-I’m sorry dad-”

Stingy froze so violently it threw Robbie off. It threw him off just as badly as Stingy calling him ‘dad’, because _that_ was surprising. Before Robbie could even say anything Stingy was sobbing roughly and struggling to get out of his gasp. 

“I-I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I didn- It just- I-I-I-”

“Stingy! Stingy calm down, I’m not going to yell at you but I need you to _calm down_.” 

It took a moment, but thankfully Stingy did. He still fidgeted under Robbie’s hold and refused to meet his eyes. Instead of forcing contact, Robbie held him loosely and started to speak. 

“Stingy...when I was just a few years older than you, I lost my mother. She disappeared one day, nowhere to be found. It was a miracle her and my father had even met in the first place, and he was frantic to get her back. Everybody in town searched and searched- the forest, the fields, the beach- everywhere. They couldn’t find her. My dad was so lost in grief, I barely recognized him. Not even half a year later, he took off without telling anyone so he could go and find her. By the end of the year, he was found dead halfway across the country.

“I am not telling you this as a way to one up you. No, not at all. When this happened to me, I wanted a strong adult figure to guide me. I wanted someone to..to be there for me, and pick me up and tell me everything was alright. I had my brothers, but I wanted, _needed_ , someone else, and that’s okay. Stingy, if you need me to be that adult, then I will be. I will be your ‘dad’ as long as you need me to be.” 

For one very long minute Stingy didn’t do anything. Finally, the boy relaxed and he cried softly. Robbie held him tight, bringing him into his gangly lap and calming him down. 

They had pancakes for breakfast- Stingy’s choice. It was relieving to see him smiling, laughing, and talking, despite his red eyes or occasional sniffle. 

Before taking Stingy home, Robbie allowed them to shop in the expanded downtown district. They’d finished adding five new buildings, one of which Robbie watched Stingy try sunglasses on in. When a hand made contact with his shoulder Robbie jumped practically five feet into the air, only to be caught by Sportacus and his ever beautiful biceps. 

“S-Sportacus!” 

“Robbie! I was just saying hello, and I wanted to ask a question.”

“Oh, well hello to you too, Sportasneak. What do you want?”

“Well, I was going to ask why you’re with Stingy, and where Pixel was. They were supposed to spend the entire weekend together, I thought.” Sportacus furrowed his brows in thought, as though making sure he was right. Robbie made a soft hissing noise and Sportacus grew further confused while setting him down. 

“Did something happen?”

“Something, alright. There was….an incident, with the Spendthrifts.” Sportacus immediately winced and pulled their conversation farther away from Stingy, who was trying on a pair of aviators. 

“Tell me what happened.” Robbie cringed at the bluntness but did exactly that, retelling what Stingy had cried to him last night. Sportacus’ expression grew stormier and stormier the longer Robbie prattled on for. By the time he was done, Sportacus looked ready to punch something. 

“Are _you_ going to be okay?”

“That doesn’t matter right now. What matters is making sure Stingy is okay.” 

“I’ve got that partially covered. I’m sort of like a dad to him now, I guess?” Robbie explained the _other_ conversation they’d had. Sportacus apologized about Robbie’s parents, as he now knew how and why they passed. Robbie shrugged him off, but Sportacus made a mental note to make sure he was really okay about it later. He refocused and followed Robbie’s gaze, the two of them watching Stingy try on a matching hat to his aviators. 

“I was thinking you could spend extra time with him, or maybe walk him home every other night.”

“I was thinking the exact same thing. I might have a conversation with the Spendthrifts-”

“Sportacus, I don’t think that’s-”

“A good idea, I know. I might try baiting them into a conversation, see what they think, adult to adult, you know. Then I can get a good idea on how to handle it.” Robbie snorted softly, shaking his head. “Let me know the results of that adventure.” The two of them watched Stingy walk back to Robbie, smiling from under aviators and a matching fedora. 

“Hey dad- oh, hello Sportacus! Robbie was letting me shop for a few minutes.” Stingy smiled widely at the town hero, grinning eve wider at his new ‘dad’. “I’ve decided on this fedora and aviators. Maybe we can keep them at your house until the next time I see you? So my parents don’t get suspicious.” Stingy quickly amended, smiling widely when Robbie nodded his approval. Sportacus had a conversation with him while Robbie went to the checkout aisle. When the former villain came back, Stingy was rubbing his damp eyes and Sportacus was clapping his back soothingly. 

They bid Sportacus goodbye shortly afterwards, now leaving for Stingy’s house. Their pace slowed outside the gates to the new mansion. Robbie had his hand tightly clasped around Stingy’s. 

“I’ll walk you up. Give me a hug now, though.” 

Stingy immediately hugged Robbie, smiling into the man’s chest at the firm hug he received back. Robbie chuckled lowly before clapping his ‘son’ on the back, taking his hand once more and walking up the steps to the half-marble mansion. 

“Oh, Mister Rotten! Thank you so much for watching Stingy last night, we were so relieved!” Mrs. Spendthrift flung the front door wide open and rushed out to hug her son, who wasn’t even half-way up the steps. Stingy gave an uncomfortable peep but his step-mother didn’t notice, instead checking him over and gratuitously thanking Robbie. 

“I-it was no problem, Mrs. Spendthrift. I had a wonderful night with him, and we had a nice breakfast this morning. I’ll be more than happy to see him later this week for dinner. I reminded him that I’m always a call away, that way I can pick him up next time.” 

Robbie rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly as Mrs. Spendthrift talked a mile a minute, assuring him that they were thankful for watching Stingy and for everything else. When Mr. Spendthrift stepped into the door frame, Stingy visibly stiffened up. Robbie found himself with a bitter taste in his mouth, even when the man smiled and gave a stiff thanks. 

“Your welcome…” Robbie murmured, watching him walk over and pull Stingy into the house. While he didn’t show it, Robbie could clearly see the panic in Stingy’s eyes. The sight sent panic through Robbie as well, as he suddenly _needed_ to give Stingy a way out for later, seeing as he’d be in for a hell of a ‘conversation’, from the looks of it. 

“O-oh, and Stingy! Don’t forget to come over tomorrow for that help on your history project!”

“History….O-Oh! Yes, thank you Mister Rotten! I’ll be sure to stop by, thank you- b-bye!” Stingy squeaked the last of his sentence as Mr. Spendthrift slammed the door behind him. Robbie watched the door close, breaking off the thankful gaze that he’d been given from Stingy. Robbie really hated the bitter taste in his mouth. It tasted like chemicals, dust, and dirt, despite the fact that the construction crew weren’t even working this season. 

At home, Robbie picked up his phone and dialed a number.

“Yeah, Glanni….? I think...I think I just became a dad. I might need some tips…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _“PPPFT- ARE YOU CHEATING ON SPORTACUS?!”_   
>  _“What?! No- Glanni!!”_
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> On one note: IM SO DONE I HAD TO RECODE EVERYTHING AFTER FIFTEEN MINUTES AND MY COMPUTER DECIDING TO TAKE A SHIT AAHHHH
> 
> Secondly, look!! Robbo became a dad to the Stingo!! I apologize if this chapter got too real, or if it hit too close to home. I tried to make it fluffier over all and keep Stingy's retelling vague but clear.
> 
> Also, thank you to everybody who commented last chapter! I had a blast reading them all, they were so creative and funny, haha! 
> 
> Lastly, thank you all for reading! I hope you all enjoyed, so please, have a wonderful day/night <3


	12. Chapter Eleven

The second weekend in February was a long one, in Robbie’s opinion. Not that that was a bad thing, but it meant everything felt prolonged- and he hated that feeling. It was with the last of his chugged soda that he tried to forget the feeling of wasting away, letting the aluminum reflect the absurd amount of pink in the room off of itself. 

Screaming children was number one of his things to hate. February 11th, as Fate had decided long ago, was Stephanie’s birthday. She was turning 12, making her, still, the third oldest in her friend group. The only difference now was that she was the same age as Jives, who would turn in the summer. Pixel would only stay the same age as him until December, making him the eldest in their group. 

Still, despite their age changes, Robbie swore their childish screeches had stayed the same. He watched from the couch as Stephanie and Trixie wrestled, their friends energetically cheering them on. The Mayor and Bessie chatted a ways off, not truly paying attention. It was Sportacus who watched their playful fighting, only stepping in when it seemed to get violent. Really, with all the chaos, Robbie wondered how in the world he’d gotten invited.

With his empty soda can in hand, Robbie stood up ( ignored his obscenely popping back) and pointedly avoided the hyper children while throwing away his fourth helping of sanity. The cooler full of sodas, juices, and a small selection of alcohol sat outside. As great as alcohol sounded, Robbie wasn’t in the mood to get drunk at a children’s party, so instead he settled for his fifth can of soda. 

Not even two feet into the house, can still unopened, Robbie balked as Sportacus immediately slapped it out of his hand. They stared at each other for a second, one appalled and the other neutral, before Robbie punched Sportacus in the arm. 

“If you don’t mind me asking, what the _fudge_ was _that_ for?!”

“That’s your fifth can in an hour, Robbie! I try not to question your dietary decisions but, really, Robbie, five is just too much in one hour!” 

“Well sorry, Sportasnoop, but I’m going to drink this soda. In this house of screaming children, it’s my only lifeline.” Robbie bent down (ignored his back again, even though Sportacus cringed at the sound) and grabbed his drink. Sportacus smacked it aside again. They made eye contact for another minute before Robbie retrieved his drink. 

The process of retrieve-slap away continued for a few moments. Sportacus was smirking, looking triumphant, while Robbie looked down right annoyed and ready to use some choice words. He was picking the soda can back up when Sportacus, the innocent he was, slapped it away. Both men screamed as the can exploded, fizzy, sugary soda shooting onto both of them. 

“Oh- oh dear! Are you two okay?” Mayor Meanswell asked, joining the two soaking adults. He and Bessie had grabbed towels from the kitchen and were drying the two taller men off. The kids were giggling amongst themselves, having stopped wrestling and had started taking bets on when the can would explode. It seemed Pixel was the winner, but Stingy claimed it was only because he used his technology. 

“Don’t worry Mayor, we’re okay!” Sportacus laughed. 

“Are you sure?”

“No, please, check him three times over. I think all the sugar from the pop and the screaming children got to him because he’s downright _insane_.” Robbie hissed. He batted Bessie away as she continued trying to clean his face. The towel was fiercely snatched as he lowly assured her he could continue cleaning himself. 

“Yeah, why _were_ you hitting the soda away, Sportacus?” Ziggy asked. The rest of the kids agreed with him- they all wanted to know, since they missed the beginning of the two men’s conversation. 

“It was going to be his fifth soda in an hour!” Sportacus exclaimed, sending a teasing look Robbie’s way. 

“Fifth? Jeez Robbie, that’s a lot of sugar for one hour!” Stephanie said. 

“Yeah man, you should drink some water, if you’re still thirty.” Jives smiled. He was sympathetic, though, since before moving to Lazytown he was addicted to drinking anything sugary. 

Robbie looked at all of them through squinted eyes before snorting and throwing himself down onto the couch. He sat there, grumpy. Everybody had a small chuckle before continuing with the party. Sportacus sat down next to Robbie. They made up, a little stiffly, but they resolved the conflict. 

**\------**

“Oh wow, thank you, Sportacus!” Stephanie squealed. She held up new soccer cleats to her uncle, who ‘oh’ed and ‘ah’ed besides Bessie. Sportacus smiled at Stephanie, giving her a thumbs up and a wink. The other kids were talking about how cool the new cleats looked- even Stingy. 

Your welcome, Stephanie. I know you’ll put them to good use.”

“Well of course! You got me my first pair of actual cleats when I turned nine, and those are pretty worn!” She laughed, remembering the old pair of now dirty white-and-pink cleats. 

Stephanie sat them down in her small pile of birthday gifts. Just like at Sportacus’ birthday, Robbie’s present was last. It was wrapped fancily in red and pink wrapping paper, a curly white bow sitting in the top left corner. In Robbie’s calligraphy, Stephanie could make out her name on the tag. She saved it for later, seeing as she liked the way he wrote her name. 

Everybody leaned in as she carefully unwrapped her present. Stephanie gasped when she finally saw it, Bessie almost spitting out the juice she was drinking. 

“O-Oh my! Stephanie, look at all that beautiful makeup! Why, that must be the most expensive set of supplies I’ve seen in my life!” Bessie whispered, looking at the various ranges of blushes and shades that Robbie had bought. 

“There’s even pink hair dye! And nail polish! Oh thank you, Robbie, I love this so much!” Stephanie set her gift aside and threw herself onto Robbie, enveloping the sputtering man in a hug. 

“There’s only one problem though…” Stephanie sheepishly pulled away and picked up the makeup again. “I was telling my uncle I wanted makeup, since I do like it, but...I don’t know how to use a lot of it.”

“Well, Pinky, you didn’t get to the bottom of the box, now did you?” Robbie tutted. He folded his arms and nodded his head towards the box, as though daring her to search forward. 

Stephanie pursed her lips and sat back down, gift in lap. She dug around the pink tissue paper and makeup bags, determined to find what Robbie was hinting at. Then, at the very bottom, tucked under the tissue paper, was a white card. It read ‘Open me’ in Robbie’s calligraphy. Stephanie flickered her eyes back up to Robbie’s and opened it, biting her lip in excitement. 

Thin, purple sheets fluttered out of the card. Stephanie gasped and readjusted her grasp on the card so more wouldn’t fall out. She picked up what had fallen and read one. It had the words ‘Time’ and ‘Date’ written, along with a line besides each. 

“What are these?”

“Appointment tickets. I know you can sometimes be forgetful, so they’ll help you remember. It also helps me when planning _my_ schedule, so I know what day you’re coming over at and when. I’m going to teach you how to use it all.” Robbie shrugged his shoulders, pretending not to see the bright grin that appeared on Stephanie’s face.

“Wow, thank you so much Robbie!” She leaped over and hugged him again, earning a surprised squeak from the man. A look of confusion overtook Stephanie, however, as she sat back down.

“How did you know I wanted makeup, or that I didn’t know how to use most of it? The only person I told that to was my uncle.” 

“And _I_ only told Bessie and Sportacus.” Milford said, frowning as well.

“I told Robbie!” Sportacus chirped. “He was surprised to be invited to your party, and didn’t know what to get you, so I told him what your uncle told me and we went shopping together.” 

“See Pinky, this is how adults get you! They always conspire behind your back, so you have to be sneaky when asking for presents. That way, word spreads, and you get more of what you want! Always ask for money- they’ll give it away like it grows on trees. It _always_ works for me.” 

“Trixie, I don’t think it works that way.” Pixel laughed.

The two of them started a conversation on adults and the proper ways to trick them, which ended up with all the children involved and a very nervous Milford. 

Sportacus was chuckling as he calmed them all down and suggested a game of twister to wrap the night up. Robbie fake-blanched and stuck out his tongue. He ended up being the referee, who flicked the spinner indifferently. According to Robbie, the game was decidedly only worthwhile because he got to see Sportacus’ bulging muscles in action. 

**000000**

Tuesday the 14th was a half day at Lazy Middle School. Robbie had only been up for thirty minutes, still sipping his coffee, when his doorbell rang at eleven forty-five. He sputtered and stomped over to the door, robed and snootily slurping his coffee.

“Hel- Oh, it’s just _you_ brats.” Robbie grumbled. “Is it really Tuesday already?” He sighed, letting the three teenagers on his porch in. 

“Yeah dude, it’s Valentine's Day!” Jives grinned, walking in behind Trixie. 

Occasionally, but not daily, Jives would spend his days with Trixie and Stingy at Robbie’s. He’d only known Robbie for a short while, despite having moved to Lazytown a few months before Robbie’s fire incident. Afterwards, when Robbie became a recluse, he’d forgotten the lanky man still lived in Lazytown. In truth, after meeting him again and hanging around, Jives had to say that he quite liked Robbie.

“So Robbie, are you gonna make Sportacus a _Valentine’s Day card?_ ” Trixie asked, her eyes squinted while grinning at him. Robbie was tempted to throw her out of his house. 

“No. Valentine’s Day is for children, and I am an adult. I do not partake in childish games.”

“You did when you were in disguise a few years ago.” Stingy spoke up, innocently gazing at his new guardian. Robbie sputtered and huffed, his arms hastily crossed (careful of the scalding coffee) and gazed menacingly at the three of them.

“I am a different person now. And this person does _not_ partake in childish holidays.” The finality to his tone stuck to two of three children. Trixie shifted her hips and smirked at him, turning to go upstairs. 

“I’m grabbing the construction paper and a ton of glitter. Make room at the table!” Stingy and Jives spared a look at Robbie before laughing and running into the kitchen, ignoring Robbie’s shouts of “What are you doing?!” and “Don’t touch that!”.

**\------**

“Hey, hey Sportacus! Are you gonna celebrate Valentine’s Day with us this year?” Ziggy bounced up and down, smiling up at the hero. Sportacus blinked for a second, grinning widely afterwards.

“I mean, sure I can, Ziggy! Just… can you tell me what Valentine’s Day traditions are like again?” Sportacus laughed nervously. In his elven culture, they had a day similar to Valentine’s Day, but it had vastly different customs. Sometimes holidays combined in Sportacus’ mind, making it hard to keep his work and home life separate. 

“Oh, uh, sure, Sportacus! Well, you see, you make a card for- for someone you love, or appreciate a lot, and put nice messages on it- oh, oh! And sometimes you give them _candy!_ There's holiday themed candy for Valentine’s day and- and it’s _all so good!_ ”

“Ziggy, there’s more to it than that!” Stephanie laughed. “Sometimes people get each other gifts or flowers as a way to say I love you. It’s a day for love and friendship.”

“Some people don’t like Valentine’s Day though,” Pixel spoke up from Stephanie’s right, “they see it only as a couples holiday. It honestly depends on what you want to do.” 

Sportacus ‘ahhh’ed. He bit his lip in thought. Did Robbie celebrate Valentine’s Day? Surely he wouldn’t, since he complained about all holidays being too loud and that their only redeeming feature was the sweets to be earned. 

“W-well, I’d love to kids, but there isn’t anybody...special in my life to send a card to.” Sportacus rubbed his neck, a silent awkward apology in his tone. While he was conscious of his crush on Robbie, Sportacus was sure that Robbie didn’t return his feelings, so he prematurely decided not to send a card and potentially ruin his relationship with his best friend. 

“Well, your card doesn’t _have_ to be romantic.” Pixel said. “It can just be platonic, best friend to best friend.” 

“Yeah! You can send a card to Robbie, Sportacus!” Stephanie grinned. If Sportacus didn’t know any better, he’d think there was another meaning to her sickeningly sweet and enthusiastic tone. 

“Alright, alright. I’ll make a card for Robbie, then.” He relented, feeling their childish pressure boring into him. Ziggy cheered happily, excited to have Sportacus making cards with them. Stephanie and Pixel set up card making supplies while Sportacus quickly burned off some energy with some advanced exercises, prepared to be sitting for a long, _long_ time.

**\------**

“Are you finished yet, old man? Come on, let’s go!” Trixie groaned, stomping around Robbie’s livingroom. 

“No, I’m not. Stop jumping around my living room, you’re going to break something!” Robbie growled at a particularly hard stomp. Stingy chuckled softly from besides his dad, cards finished in front of him. 

“You’re being oddly meticulous with _one_ card, dad.” 

“Yeah, well it’ll look _far_ better than yours. You made what, five cards? Mine’ll look way better.” 

“Nuh-uh, I don’t think so! _My_ cards were made with love and care, meaning they’re the best.” 

Robbie snorted but said nothing else. He was carefully applying blue-purple glitter to the front of the card. The top was slightly loose, threatening to spill all over his cautiously crafted gift. Stingy watched as Robbie laughed triumphantly and put the glitter down, the front of his card completed. 

“It’s perfect! It’ll stun that Sportaloser for good.” 

“You know,” Stingy paused in half thought, “you sound like how you did two years ago. Or that particular statement did, at least.” 

Robbie was, at the least, shocked at how accurate Stingy was. However, he wasn’t done talking. 

“Are you _trying_ to impress him? I mean….you do have a thing for him, right?” Robbie stared at him, jaw dropped. He coughed awkwardly and tried to spout an answer that just wouldn’t come. Finally, Robbie broke.

“Okay, yes, maybe! Just- don’t tell Loud Girl. I’ll _never ever_ hear the end of it if she finds out.” 

Stingy broke into a powerful grin, then frowned again. “You didn’t answer my question from before. Are you trying to impress him? I thought the card was kinda...platonic.” 

“Yes, well...it is. You know Sportacus, Stingy. I doubt he returns any feelings other than friendship. My feelings are my dreams, and that’s all. The card’s platonic, yes. Well, I’m done now, so maybe we can go so Trixie can _stop stomping in my living room!_ ” The last part of his statement was yelled in the direction of the living room, where Trixie was still making a ruckus while Jives watched. 

“Well, are you _done?_ ”

“Yes, I am. Get your stuff on and wait by the entrance. I’ll be with you in a moment.” Robbie left his card on the coffee table while he went and threw on something other than ratty pants and a t-shirt. He came back down in a purple button down and pinstripe sweater combination, a pair of form fitting dark jeans that he rarely wore on as well. The kids all looked at each other and grinned, pretending to be bored while conversing on how he was _totally_ trying to look nice for Sportacus. Stingy made sure not to tell Trixie about Robbie’s actual crush, however. 

“We’re going to town hall, yeah?” Robbie asked, winding his scarf around his neck and over the bottom of his face, leaving enough room to breathe but still be kept warm. 

“Yeah, now hurry up! We’re gonna be last if you don’t bust your butt into action.” Trixie huffed and threw herself out the door. Robbie nearly had a heart attack when she almost slipped on some ice, but thankfully she regained her balance. It took less than a second of her yelling for Robbie to subtly wish she’d slip and actually fall. 

There was a Valentine’s Day party happening at town hall. Mainly for the kids, but there was dinner provided so adults were more than welcome to go. There, they’d exchange all their cards and relax with free dinner and a movie in the library. It started at four thirty. According to Robbie’s watch, it was four twenty-nine.

True to Trixie’s concerns, they ended up being a few minutes late. Robbie lived relatively close by, however, so they managed to get there quick. Much to their luck, nothing had started when they ran in. Stephanie, Ziggy, and Pixel all waited around the Mayor and Sportacus, begging them to wait until their friends arrived. Robbie flinched as all the children cheered; for their friends showing up and for not being late. 

Robbie toed off his wet boots and hung his coat and scarf, standing silently besides his best friend. His Valentine’s Day card was hidden behind his crossed arms, Sportacus’ in his jacket. They listened to the Mayor prattle on a few rules. 

“N-now then! Let the children exchange their cards first.” 

Robbie and Sportacus watched as the kids immediately sought each other out, giving out cards and hugs with grinning faces. This year it was extremely crowded, with all the new families living in the finished houses. Almost all of them had at least one child, so the attendance this year was doubled, almost tripled. Sportacus noticed Robbie cringing from all the loud noises, so he pulled him down to his level and had a soft, distracting conversation. 

Stingy ran over to Robbie once he was done handing out and receiving cards. Some of the children were passing out candy, one of which Stingy was chewing as he stood in front of his sort-of guardian. He was showing Robbie the card he got from Jives when Milford had everyone quiet down. 

“Alright, now that the children have, ah, exchanged cards, it’s time for the adults’ turn. Kids, there’s food being served by some of your parents in the library, so please go get some dinner.” 

Everybody waited for the kids to excitedly leave the lobby before starting. Robbie felt his blood turn warm before the blush settled on his face. Until then, everything had been okay, he’d handled the situation fine. Now? He had to give Sportacus, his _best friend_ (extremely obvious crush), a Valentine’s Day card. 

Instead of simply turning and saying, “Hey, Sportacus, I greatly appreciate your friendship! I also have an obscenely large crush on you but that doesn’t matter, so Happy Valentine’s Day, buddy!” Robbie watched the other adults first. There were a few friends giving each other cards, but Robbie mainly saw couples kissing and hugging. He thought he saw the Mayor and Bessie and stuck out his tongue. Sportacus’ amused chuckle brought him back to reality. 

“Did you not make a card, Robbie? I don’t see one.” God, those bright blue eyes were _twinkling_ at him and it was downright _unfair_.

“U-um, no, I did..why, did you not do one? I don’t see a card in _your_ hands.” Robbie mumbled defensively, holding up the purple and blue card that’d been hiding behind his arms. 

“No, I did do one- see?” Sportacus cheerily brought out the white and red card from his inner jacket pocket, holding it up proudly. 

“A-ah, I see...w-well, here, I guess. H-happy Valentine’s Day, Sportanerd.” Robbie stuttered, handing out his flimsy card uselessly. Sportacus’ features went from a happy nervous to touched and excited. 

“For me? Robbie! I’m honored! Here, u-um, Happy Valentine’s Day.” Sportacus went back to being nervous, holding out his card for Robbie to take. Sp..Sportacus had made _him_ a card?

Robbie accepted it cautiously, reading over the front cover. “ _Sorry if this sounds too sweet…_ ” it read, two rather nicely drawn lollipops drawn underneath the words. He turned the page and couldn’t help but snort at the inside. “ _...But I think we’re too peas in a pod! :)_ ” There were two sweet peas drawn, one with a black pompadour and another with a blue hat and a number ten on it’s chest. 

“Do you like it?” Sportacus asked, still holding his unopened card. He seemed fidgety, more nervous than he should have been, but Robbie was too stunned to notice that. 

“Y-yeah, I do. Cute, Sportacrafty. Now read yours, I’m hungry and want some of the food before it’s gone.” 

Sportacus nodded and read the cover, smiling and laughing at the inside. His card read on the outside, “ _It’s Valentine’s Day, blah blah, blah,_ ” and, “ _You repulse me the least, so Happy Valentine’s Day_ ,” on the inside. The whole thing was blue, purple marker making half attempts at swirls or stripes everywhere. Glitter was meticulously placed on each corner, giving it a fancy look. 

“This is wonderful, Robbie! Haha, I love it so much! Thank you. Again, happy Valentine’s Day.” Sportacus smiled widely and enveloped his best friend in a tight hug. He couldn’t help but be a little disappointed on the inside that the peak of this special day was a friendship card. How badly he wanted to tell his best friend that he wanted more. But...that would never work, so friendship it was. 

“Your welcome, Sportahug. C-can you let go now? So I can breathe?” Robbie wheezed, tapping Sportacus’ shoulder from his crushed position. 

“Oh, Gods, sorry Robbie! Come on, let’s get some food.” Sportacus took Robbie’s hand, refused to blush, and pulled him into the library. 

There were already tables set up in the main foyer of the room. Just inside the door there were three small tables with food ready to be served, volunteers standing behind them chatting happily. Robbie grabbed his food first, getting only a serving of fried chicken and about six cookies. Sportacus allowed himself some of the mashed potatoes and corn, getting only a small helping of the macaroni and cheese. 

“Sportacus, Robbie! Come sit over here!” Ziggy called, waving from the far right side of the library. The kids were sitting around the head of the table. Their small friend group of elementary schoolers sat between them all, who was also calling the two adults (mainly Sportacus, though) over. 

“Hey guys- wow! Look at all of your cards!” Sportacus greeted, marveling at the handmade cards he was shown. Nate, one of the elementary schoolers from Robbie’s introduction in September, was showing Sportacus his card when Robbie noticed something. 

Now, Sportacus was a basic artist. Robbie could appreciate that, as his handwriting was simple and understandable. What caught him off guard was the absolutely beautiful sketch of a yellow rose on the backside of the card. There were multiple of them, scattered around a large one in the center. Sportacus, being an elf, must have had a special meaning for this. Flower language, he was sure it was called. 

Wikipedia sure was helpful. Robbie ate a bite of chicken while scrolling for ‘yellow rose’ on the flower meaning page. He choked when he found it, suddenly feeling too sick or nervous to eat. 

_“Yellow rose: Friendship, jealousy, infidelity, apology, a broken heart, intense emotion, undying love, extreme betrayal.”_

That….was a lot for one flower. Optional meaning one was..okay. Optional meaning seven sounded like a dream, while six was almost neutral. Everything else Robbie couldn’t comprehend, but a broken heart and extreme betrayal put him on edge. 

The greatest sounding options would never happen, Robbie decisively mused. They never did, and they never would. He pushed away his dinner, suddenly too nauseous to even think of eating. 

Robbie left the party early, headache raging and stomach churning, without saying goodbye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IF YA'LL THOUGHT I WASN'T GONNA DO A VALENTINES DAY CHAPTER THEN YOU'RE DEAD WRONG WOO UPLOADED IT RELATIVELY ON TIME! Not gonna lie- I spent all weekend shoving plot aside to write this whOOPs-
> 
> Fair warning a head of time, I don't have the rest of the next chapter written yet. I only have about a third of it done, so I'd say to expect the next chapter sometime next week. Sorry :/ 
> 
> Anywho!!!! Happy Valentine's day, my lovelies! Have a wonderful day or night <333


	13. Chapter Twelve

_Beepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeep-_

“Sportacus, wake up. Sportacus, I urge you to wake up.” 

It took Sportacus several long moments of him thrashing in his bed and being half awake to finally heed his airship’s suggestion. He shot up into a sitting position, desperately clutching his blankets to his chest. Sweat poured off his forehead and down his back, sliding uncomfortably down his spine. It took him a moment to hear past the harsh pants of his own breath. 

The ship was filled with the dwindling, ungodly screeching of his crystal. Sportacus looked over at it, feeling the adrenaline high of distress and anxiety still coursing through his body. His hand shook while reaching over to the bedside table, gingerly grabbing the flashing crystal. 

When Sportacus closed his eyes, he could see who was in trouble. He gasped in utter shock at the mental picture of himself, curled over his crystal and shaking in surprise. The instinctual urge to help flooded his body, fix the solution, make sure everybody was safe. But the conflict lied therein. 

_He_ was in trouble, and he _did not know how_ to fix it.

“Sportacus, your mental state is fluctuating. Who is in trouble? Are you alright?” The ship’s AI was overloaded with two tasks at once, trying to balance them both while confronting the male elf. 

“I-I-I’m alright, Ship...I’m the one who’s in trouble, but I’m alright.” If the AI had a face, Sportacus was sure it would have narrowed its eyes at him. “Don’t worry, Ship. I just had a nightmare, is all…”

“I suggest a round of exercises before trying to go to bed. It has a 98% chance of calming you down, thus calming your crystal.” 

Sportacus looked down at the bright blue and pink flashing rock, his mouth pressed into a firm line. The crystal had stopped shrieking, but it still pulsed and throbbed stubbornly. Also, as soothing as exercises sounded, Sportacus found himself too weary to try. 

An odd feeling settled itself in his chest, hardening into the stone hard fact that he wasn’t too affected that his crystal was beeping for him. It went off for everybody, why would that exclude him? The thought was frustrating, however, because none of the other heroes ever told him what to do if _he_ was the one in trouble, almost implying their crystals had never gone off for them. _Great._

Sportacus growled lowly before pushing out of bed. His winter pajamas from Robbie were warm, a stark comparison to the cold floor of the ship. Crystal in hand, he sat down next to the cockpit, on the glass floor, and relaxed against the wall. The stars twinkled soothingly in the night sky, a silent greeting from them to him. 

“Sportacus, are you not going to exercise? If you don’t, there is a 67% chance of you falling back asleep, and a 99% chance of you being inaccurate and tired tomorrow.” 

The AI’s tone was monotonous as always, although Sportacus could have sworn it sounded both stern and worried. The elf pursed his lips and knocked his head against the wall in thought. His calloused hand gripped the pulsing crystal tighter. 

“....I had a nightmare that I couldn’t save somebody close to me.”

“You’ve had a few of those before, Sportacus.”

“You’re right, Ship, I have. But this time...it was personal. I...I couldn’t save Robbie. I..dreamed that he died in my arms, and I… was so distraught, because I didn’t get to tell him just _how much_ I love him..”

The ship was silent, running calculations. The voice command box on the wall was lit up, however, as though the airship was about to say something. Sportacus narrowed his eyes, about to ask if the AI was still there. He didn’t get the chance to, as it finally spoke up.

“Robbie Rotten, male, age forty-nine, villain of Lazytown-”

“ _Former_ villain.”

“Recalculating. Robbie Rotten, male, age forty-nine, former villain of Lazytown. Most compatible mate in lazytown, with an 87% chance-”

“Whoa, whoa, Ship! R-Robbie and I are just friends, that’s all! Nothing more, nothing less.” The words sounded strained, even to his own ears. It was as if he was forcing himself to believe the words he was spewing. Sportacus hesitantly glanced back at the stars before turning again to the voice command box. “87% chance, of a successful match?”

“13% chance of rejection or failed relationship, 87% chance of a successful relationship.”

“Really? _That high?_ ” Sportacus asked, his head tilting and voice an octave higher. His thumb rubbed over the now vibrating crystal, soft beeps audibly heard as his hormones raced again. 

“Chances point to high success. Data was pulled from past and recent interactions between you and Robbie Rotten.” 

“Well then…” Sportacus murmured, letting that information sink in. He turned back to the stars, curling into a ball and watching the wispy clouds. His head leaned on the white wall that was not quite in his peripherals, but close enough that the sparkling of the bright stars glistened and reflected into the corners of his eyes. The crystal died back down to occasional vibrates and chirps as Sportacus left himself to his thoughts. 

“Sportacus, it would be a good idea to do some exercises and then go to bed. It is 1:20 in the morning.”

The AI’s suggestion fell onto deaf ears, as Sportacus curled farther in on himself and pointedly ignored the suggestion. Sometimes, it was okay to stay up past 8:08. Even when he started to shiver from the cool of the ship, wishing he had enough strength to get his blanket, Sportacus stayed where he was over the glass, letting his thoughts wander as far as the cosmos would allow. 

**\------**

Sportacus woke up when it was impossible to ignore the sunshine filtering into the airship. It was warm, since all the rays were reflecting around the white cabin through the glass. He groaned lowly and stretched, jerking himself awake in surprise at the feeling of the floor under him. Everything flooded back to him within the moment, and he groaned again. 

“Good morning, Sportacus. Your crystal has not beeped, so I allowed you to sleep in a while to help you regain some sleep. It is almost 9:30 right now.”

“Ah- thank you, Ship. Water, please?” 

“Here you go, Sportacus.” From his place besides the cockpit, Sportacus caught the water bottle that flew out from the wall. He took a few swigs, letting the ice cool drink wash through him and wake him up. 

Finally, Sportacus stood up and stretched. The ship displayed his suit once done, allowing him to take it and get dressed. He served himself a healthy breakfast in deep thought, quieter than usual. The AI didn’t say anything, however, but it did keep an eye on him. 

The nightmare still rung fresh in Sportacus’ head. The look of Robbie, pale, dying in his arms...Sportacus shuddered suddenly. He stopped eating, eyes darting to the door nervously. 

“....Ship, open the door for me please.” 

The ship complied, the white door lowering. Sportacus stepped out into the sky, smiling softly at the feeling of the cool wind in his air. It was such an exhilarating feeling, having the wind howl besides his ear, the feeling of it on his skin. Despite this, Sportacus pushed the thoughts away, taking out his telescope and peering down into town square. 

A frown settled onto Sportacus’ face when he couldn’t find anyone in town square. Of course, it was a foolish idea to think that Robbie would be down there. It was before ten and Robbie wasn’t usually up by then. What was wrong was that no adult or child was in sight, which was unusual. Pursing his lips, he scanned the rest of the town. When no one could be found there, either, the suburban area was checked last. 

Part of the suburbs was close to the lake. It was mid-February and a large storm had come through just a few days after Valentine’s Day. The lake was frozen, thick ice covering the surface. It was a relief to see most residents outside skating or playing in the snow, all laughing and happy. 

“Is everything alright, Sportacus?” 

“Yes, Ship. I was just checking on everybody. I’m going to join them in a minute, so please get my ice skates ready.” Sportacus jogged back inside, reveling in the warmth that the ship contained while he finished his morning routine and exercises. 

“Your daily morning routine is completed, Sportacus. See you tonight.” The AI said warmly, lowering the door before Sportacus could ask for it. The elf smiled and chuckled, grabbing his skates and taking the ladder down. 

“Sportacus!!” The kids cheered, running to the ladder base and surrounding it. Sportacus laughed as he jumped off, sending the ladder back up and hugging the kids. 

“Hey guys! What are you all up to?” 

“W-we’re skating. Stephanie and Jives are teaching us.” Hummed a young fourth grader named Andrea. 

“That’s what I thought! Look, I even brought my skates.” He shrugged the blue, white, and black shoes off of his shoulder, letting the blade reflect the sunlight for a second. The kids gasped and enthusiastically bombarded him with questions. Sportacus laughed again and calmed them all down. 

“One at a time, please! What were you saying, Lizzie?”

A small black haired girl smiled at him widely, her smile missing her two front teeth adorably. “Are you gonna skate with us, Sportacus?”

“Of course I am! Skating is a nice way to stay healthy in the winter, not to mention a beautiful sport.” 

The children ate this up, giggles surging through all of them. Sportacus answered a few more questions before urging them to go play in the snow so he could get his skates on. While sitting on the bench doing just so, Stephanie sat down next to him. 

“Hello Sportacus!”

“Hey, Stephanie! How are you?”

“I’m fine, Sportacus. I’m more worried about you though. Where were you this morning? Normally you’re outside in town square around nine, but it’s almost ten now. Did something happen?”

Sportacus looked at Stephanie in subtle shock. She searched his face nervously, waiting for his answer. Finally, the elf sighed and gave her a tight smile. 

“Don’t worry, Stephanie. I just had a nightmare last night and stayed up for a while. I ended up sleeping in just a tad bit, nothing to worry about.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, hugging her tight. She was just the sweetest kid, always looking out for herself and others. It touched his heart to it’s very core. 

Stephanie returned the hug but continued to look at him worriedly. She blew up one of her cheeks with air and frowned at him. 

“Are you sure you’re okay? If you’re tired, you don’t have to skate with us.”

“Haha, Stephanie! It’s alright, I’m okay. I can skate with everyone today. I won’t do anything fancy, just for you, though. How’s that sound?”

“Good. Thanks, Sportacus. You know how I worry.” Stephanie gave him an apologetic smile, of which Sportacus returned with a fond one of his own. 

“Stephanie! We’re ready to learn how to skate!” A few children called from the lakeside, awkwardly standing on their skates. A handful of parents stood behind them, holding everyone steady and giving them tips on how to keep their balance. 

“Go on Stephanie, I’ll be right behind you.” Sportacus reassured. Together the two of them waddled over to the small gaggle of children. While Stephanie explained a few things, Sportacus allowed himself to test out the ice and get a feel for his skates again. 

For the first minute, Stephanie had a hard time keeping the kids attention. They were too busy being captivated by Sportacus’ graceful strides. He gave them all a smile and pointed at Stephanie, signalling for them to pay attention. Everything went smoothly from there on out. 

Once the kids got onto the ice, Sportacus was careful of where he was skating. It made him smile to see them get the hang of skating, wobbling besides their parents or best friends. His eyes twinkled, a sign of his enjoyment as he weaved between them all happily. 

Everyone was having fun on the ice or snow, laughing and playing. Except Stingy, Sportacus noticed with a frown. Slowly, he made his way to the lakeside, waddling over and sitting besides the nervous looking boy. 

“Stingy, is everything alright? How come you aren’t skating like everybody else?”

“Oh, hello Sportacus. No, everything is perfectly fine. You see, Robbie said he’d come skating today-”

“Robbie’s going to skate with us?” Sportacus gasped. He didn’t know Robbie could skate, didn’t know that Robbie at least _liked_ skating enough to do it. Did he not know that it was considered a sport? Surely not, or else he would have given it up years ago. 

Just the thought of skating besides Robbie made Sportacus’ heart glow. He smiled dopily, imagining that they were gliding together, hands held as they smiled lovingly at one another. Or platonically. Or just _being_ with Robbie. Now that was amazing in itself. 

“-cus, Sportacus…. _Sportacus!”_

“O-oh, sorry, Stingy! What were you saying?” Sportacus asked, blushing bright red. He hoped it was invisible, however, under the rosy hue of his cheeks from the cold. Stingy raised an eyebrow, his lips quirking into a smirk as some thoughts clicked together like puzzle pieces. The look was gone before Sportacus could really think about it, replaced by Stingy’s air of nonchalance. 

“It’s alright. I was just saying that Robbie was going to teach me how to skate backwards today. I’m only a little nervous, since there are so many children. I think everything will be okay, though.” 

"Wow, Stingy! That’s pretty cool. I didn’t know that Robbie liked to skate, or was good enough to skate backwards.” 

Stingy smirked again, looking over Sportacus thoughtfully. “I think there’s a lot about my dad that you don’t know. But anyways, he mentioned that his older brother used to skate a lot when they were younger, so he ended up skating with him a lot.”

“Glanni? I didn’t know that _Glanni_ could skate. He seems to hate everything athletic even _more_ than Robbie, if that’s even possible.”

Stingy shrugged, gently tapping the toes of his skates together. “I don’t know, that’s just what he told me. What time is it, Sportacus? He said he’d be here at 10:30.” 

Sportacus looked down at his brace, tapping the interface. The top left showed the time, which he read out to Stingy. “It’s only ten twenty-six. Just a few more minutes, Stingy.” 

The young boy nodded his head. He fidgeted quietly, but his nervousness dissipated when he noticed that Sportacus wasn’t leaving his side. Stingy smiled and watched the other kids while they waited, Sportacus joining him in that as well. 

Sportacus felt relieved when Robbie arrived four minutes late. The man was alive and not dead, unlike what his dream still vividly showed him. Sportacus was also glad to see Robbie’s maroon scarf hanging from around his neck, just barely hiding the mask he’d decided to wear for extra protection from the harsh cold air. A pair skates were slung over Robbie’s shoulder, a half eaten chocolate bar hanging from his mouth. Sportacus nearly had a heart attack at that, but Robbie assured him it wasn’t the only thing he’d had for breakfast. 

“Again, sorry I’m late, Stingy. Why don’t you go out on the ice and warm yourself up before we start.” Stingy nodded his agreement and left the two men on the bench.

“So...I didn’t know you could skate. Stingy even said that _Glanni_ could skate.” 

Robbie raised an eyebrow, although it wasn’t seen by the elf since his face was hidden while he tied his skates. “Yeah, we both can. Before mom and dad died, Glanni used to skate competitively. He quit when he had to start taking care of the boys and I. Normally, whenever he’d go out to practice we’d go with him. None of us but him skated competitively, but we’re probably just as good as he used to be.” 

Sportacus whistled lowly. That was quite the thought- Glanni competing in a sport. But it was a nice one, Sportacus realized. The thought was forgotten, however, when Robbie stood up and glided onto the ice. Butterflies settled in his stomach because _Robbie Rotten_ was going to _ice skate_ and be a _positive figure_ in the children’s lives. The elf melted into the bench, dazzled by the thoughts of Robbie that entered his head. 

The fantasies that Sportacus dreamed of occupied him for a good ten minutes. Just him slouched on the bench, oddly still in the soft snowfall. There was a dopey expression that his face held, eyes glazed over. 

It was hard not to think about how nice Robbie’s hair was, always clean and fluffy, despite the pomade that he slicked into it. Not to mention the slight curls it got when wet after a warm shower. Or how Robbie’s complection would blush into a rosy red, eyes bright and lips too tempting. Because of this, Sportacus always had the oddest urges to hug his bony, lanky body- to hold him. Just holding his hand, sitting, or walking close together was enough. 

Ziggy and Pixel exchanged concerned glances. Sportacus was half lying on the bench near the lakeside, looking either tired or sated. Ziggy murmured something about Sportacus being sick, but Pixel had another idea (that he didn’t share) as to why Sportacus looked so daydreamy. Particularly because his gaze always stayed near Robbie, who was effortlessly showing Stingy how to skate backwards. 

Ziggy tugged Pixel over, the two of them running through the trampled snow and standing in front of Sportacus. Pixel watched as Ziggy leaned forward and waved his hand in front of the adult. When no reaction was given, the boy reached forward and gently shook his hero. 

“Sportacus? Hey, are you alright?”

“H-Huh? O-oh! Ziggy! What- I’m perfectly ok! Don’t worry Ziggy, why would you think I was in trouble?” 

“Well you weren’t moving, and you were slouching, and you- you had this really weird look on your face.” Ziggy scrunched up his own facial features in worry. Pixel placed a hand on Ziggy’s shoulders, giving him a smile. 

“Don’t worry, Ziggy. Sportacus is just fine, see?”

“Yeah, don’t worry, Ziggy.” Sportacus gave the two of them an awkward smile, eyes betraying his face as a look of panic was trapped there. The hero stood up and patted the ten year old’s head, who preened and hugged Sportacus before running off to finish his snowman. Pixel stayed behind, an eyebrow subtly raised. 

“So… Robbie, huh?”

“Wh-what?” Sportacus asked, voice an octave higher. His face was redder than it should have been, even with the frigid air. 

“Well, you were day dreaming, right? You never took your eyes off of Robbie.” 

Sportacus frowned softly, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot. The lack of movement began to catch up with him as his leg absentmindedly jiggled. He took a deep breath, tried to say something, failed, and tried again. 

“I was just thinking...about how nice he is. Compared to two years ago, anyways. And he’s such an amazing role model now, too.”

“Uh-huuhhh…” Pixel snickered when Sportacus nailed him with a slightly anxious glare. “I think it’s great you two are friends. It’s alright, Sportacus. Nothing to be nervous about.”

The fourteen year old boy bid himself goodbye after that, Sportacus waving goodbye halfheartedly. 

“Yeah, nothing to worry about…”

**\------**

By the time the sun began to set, Stingy could skate backwards with minor difficulties. He was grinning brilliantly in the harsh orange light of the winter sunset, eyes bright as Robbie winked at him. Sportacus was grinning too, for he’d witnessed the bond between two of his best friends grow. 

Stingy got off the ice when the streetlights came on in the distance. Most of the adults had taken their small children in a long time ago for dinner, only a few had stayed out after. It was just Sportacus and Robbie on the ice then, everyone else gone. Sportacus hummed thoughtfully, slowly gliding over to where his best friend was.

“Are you going to head in for the night?”

“No, I wanted to stay out longer. Why, are you?” Robbie raised an eyebrow, eyeing the much too rosy hue of the elf’s cheeks. 

“Nope. I wanted to skate for a while. I mean, my legs and feet are a little sore from using some different muscles, but I just want to skate for a bit.” Robbie hummed his agreement, effortlessly shifting his weight from foot to foot as he went. 

Without even trying to, Sportacus and Robbie found a certain rhythm. At first they’d been skating besides each other, then they were weaving around in figure eights. The soft scratching of their skates on the ice provided a melodic, satisfying song to their moonlit dance. 

Sportacus felt his breath leave as Robbie suddenly let everything go, speeding up and making quick turns, even landing a small jump. The lanky man looked so at peace skating, making a unique dance out of their in-turn movements. He was full of grace and elegance, body effortlessly falling into old habits and instincts. 

To match his best friend, Sportacus grinned and began to get fancy. He laughed breathily, similar to the bubbles of happiness that oozed out of Robbie during particular strides. Their eyes twinkled in the dusk, smiles much too bright for the darkening sky. Their song and dance of languid movements and stretched muscles was a satisfying one, to mentally see their movements and physically pull them off. 

Robbie suddenly rushed forward, skating nearby Sportacus. Neither said a word, their grinning faces and twinkling eyes already taken care of possible conversation. Sportacus took Robbie’s hand and tugged him parallel, the two starting a new caper of close contact. 

It was too easy to get lost, Sportacus realized. It only occurred to him after he picked Robbie up, who panicked in surprise before letting out a laugh. Sportacus had quickly set him down, profusely apologizing behind the misting wall of his breath. The part-fae man waved him off, still grinning that heart-melting smile. 

“It’s alright! Although, do you even know how to do lifts?” It was a tease, Sportacus realized a moment later. A small chortle escaped him as he looked down at the blue ice, shaking his head. 

“No, I don’t. It just- happened.” He laughed awkwardly, gloved hand rubbing his neck under his scarf. Robbie rolled his eyes dramatically, sending him warm gazes. Sportacus blushed, but for the first time all day he felt like he wasn’t dying under pressure. There was a butterfly feeling in his heart, telling him that yeah, he was definitely in love with this man. He grinned back, laughingly loudly and skating into a figure eight. 

“You alright there, elfy?”

“I’m fantastic!” Robbie watched him in adrenaline drunken awe, suddenly whooping and cheering with his best friend. 

They didn’t stop until it was well past sunfall, the moon high in the sky. The winds had turned harsh and Robbie was finally starting to feel the active day wear on his muscles. Sportacus was truly rubbing off on him, since he only had to leave once around two in the afternoon for an hour and a half nap. Additionally, Robbie had taken a multitude of short breaks to let his lungs recover from the harsh cold and the lack of oxygen in his blood. 

Thinking the same thing as his friend, Sportacus let his momentum die out and gently slide over to the shore. He fell into the snow banks with a groan, reveling in the feel of the harsh cold on his fiery cheeks. 

Robbie sat on the bench beside him, taking off his now warm skates for his freezing boots. He shivered but found he wasn’t bothered by it, still riding the adrenaline high of almost an hour. It took Sportacus a moment to get up and do the same, but when he did Robbie stayed with him. It took every fiber in the elf's being to ignore Robbie's harsh pants, lungs obviously exhausted from the strenuous activity. This wasn't anything new though, and Robbie sat contentedly besides him. 

Floundering to say some sort of a goodbye, Sportacus looked up and stopped. Robbie was gazing at him so fondly, a tired glint in his eyes that lingered with the excitement. The elf suppressed half of his bubbly laughter, leaned onto his best friend contentedly. 

“....Thank you for- for skating today. For showing Stingy. Skating with me. Just...for having _fun_.”

“You make it sound like you don’t do this sort of thing everyday.” Robbie teased with a gentle huff. 

“I never feel the way I feel right now.” Sportacus whispered. He shifted his head and looked up at his best friend, blushing but grinning. Robbie had raised an eyebrow, still smiling amusedly at him. It occurred to Sportacus that it would be so easy to kiss him in that moment….

“Alright, Sportadark. I should probably get home before my lungs give out, or become a popsicle. You too- the kids don’t need to see a Sportacicle in the morning.” 

Robbie mirthfully laughed while Sportacus giggled, although it was subdued in hidden disappointment at not getting a secretly desired kiss. Sportacus sat up and stretching under the moonlight, falling into step besides Robbie. Wordlessly, they accompanied each other back to town square, where they went their separate ways. 

Sportacus climbed the ladder with exhausted muscles, his skates just barely placed appropriately in his closet before collapsing into bed. It took five minutes for him to change into his pajamas sluggishly. He accidentally ignoring the ship’s AI, bypassing his nightly round of exercises in favor of finishing his hygienics routine before passing out in bed. 

That night, he dreamed of Robbie’s smiles, grace, and elegance under a too blue moon over ice. Unlike the night before, he slept wonderfully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love how Sportacus is like 'alright Stephanie I won't do anything too fancy today! :{D' and then proceeds to go and try and LIFT Robbie like alsdkjf ELF BOY!! You made a promise!! xD
> 
> Ya'll always leave such beautiful comments, I love each and every one of them! I'll be replying to what's in my inbox sometime this week, so just- thank ya'll for bein beautiful lovelies c': 
> 
> Alright guys, thank you for reading! Have a wonderful day/night <3
> 
> Oh, wait! P.S.- There's a chapter where I have the opportunity to shove Chef Pablo in for a lil bit. Would ya'll want him in the fic, or would he be a bit out of place? I'm not sure myself, so I thought I'd ask now while I'm still drafting it :) alright ok good day/night <3333


	14. Chapter Thirteen

“You have mail.” The AI hummed, alerting Sportacus and jarring him from his push-ups.

“Ah, thank you, Ship.” There wasn’t a reply back but the lights flickered in acknowledgement. 

Sportacus whistled a soft tune while retrieving the paper airplane that’d landed on his food bar. The mustard yellow paper was a familiar sight, as was the handwriting, syntax, and diction that was inked onto it. 

_“I’m glad to hear all is well. I’m doing okay, as is your grandmother and great aunt. By the way, are you coming home in the spring?_

_\- Íþróttaálfurinn”_

Sportacus grinned as he read the letter, a soft purr escaping him. Without needing to be told, the ship brought up his writing desk, pen, and paper. The elf hunkered down and wrote back to his father, the soft scratching of the pen the most audible sound in the airship.

**“I’m also glad to hear they’re doing well. From the looks of it, I’ll be able to make a visit home sometime from mid to end June, but no later than the first week of July at most. I should be home for the summer festival. Are we going to participate again?**

**-Sportacus 10”**

The closet containing Sportacus’ sports equipment slid open and the ship ejected out the bowling ball, rolling to a stop besides Sportacus as he finished his letter. The male smiled, swiftly folding the paper before sliding it into it’s mailslot. The familiar flip and sound of the ball rolling the length of the cabin made Sportacus hum in satisfaction. While dropping back down into some pushups, he listened to the workings of the ship and the bowling ball return.

“You have mail.”

Sportacus sat upright and stretched his upper back and shoulders, watching the wall open up and a yellow airplane fly through. It landed on the food bar once again, as it always did. Sportacus retrieved it, reading while making his way back to the writing desk.

_“We can participate if you’d like to. Is there anyway you can come back sooner? The council and I would like to talk to you about an important issue._

_-Íþróttaálfurinn”_

An important issue? If something was important and the council desperately needed to talk to him, they could face-call him via airship. Or, if the first option was unavailable, they could simply send letters back and forth. Sportacus huffed softly and squatted, writing quickly and slightly annoyed.

**“An important issue? Why not call me, or send me a letter? Lazytown just got another wave of polar winds, and everything will start to melt in a few weeks. There will be floods if I’m not careful, and there are much more people to save now that the population is skyrocketing. I don’t believe I can come any earlier. Why not call me, so we can talk?**

**-Sportacus 10”**

It took his father forty-five minutes to reply. Sportacus had grown worried after twenty, as he and his father had been writing to each other all day with fifteen minute wait intervals. When the mustard colored paper plane landed in his cabin, Sportacus immediately stopped his exercising and scooped the letter up.

_“They’d just prefer to speak face to face to you about this, to truly convey the meaning. They said that if you can’t make it back within two months that I am to come to you sometime in April. I’d advise you find a way back home before those plausible floods, capiche?_

_-Íþróttaálfurinn”_

The stern tone that Sportacus picked up from his father’s letter left him scowling. He knew that tone in writing was perceived by his brain, that his father could simply be speaking neutrally on this. The only problem was he had been writing his father long enough to know he was speaking strictly, almost condescendingly.

Sportacus picked up a blank piece of baby blue paper and wrote rapidly. He ended up rewriting it, since his handwriting looked like chicken scratch.

**“This has never been a problem before. I will try, but I make no promises. I realize I have loyalty to the council, but my city, my responsibility, comes first.**

**-Sportacus 10”**

The letter was sent, leaving Sportacus to frown as he thought. He wasn’t sure _why_ this upset him so much, but it did. It also made him think about how his emotions had been rather jumbled lately, with his relentless, beautiful crush on Robbie Rotten. Perhaps he was just frazzled from the internal monologues he’d ended up having fairly often.

After an hour of exercises, sparingly thinking about kissing Robbie, and a quick mid-afternoon snack, Sportacus decided to leave. He never received a letter back from his father, leaving him in a sort of foul mood. The kids were outside playing, so Sportacus decided to join them.

“Door!” He called, walking onto the platform. He was about to call down the ladder when the AI spoke up.

"Wait, Sportacus, you have mail.”

There it was, the mustard colored letter. It swooped out from the wall, turning around the cabin and settling innocently in the middle of the floor. Sportacus frowned and jogged back in, picking it up and hastily unfolding it.

_“Find your replacement. If not, we’ll do it for you. I’ll remind you in April. Until then, best wishes, son._

_-Íþróttaálfurinn”_

Find his replacement? Sportacus was taken aback by the bluntness of his father’s letter. True, he was fifty-three, but he was only half the age that the average male elf lived to. Why did he need to find one so soon? He wasn’t achy or tired, nor was he off his game. If Sportacus was being honest, he’d even say he hadn’t reached his peak yet, either.

Perhaps it was because he was around the age that his father decided to start training him for his role as Number 10. Still, it didn’t make much sense to Sportacus for him to get a replacement in order now, while he was still physically and mentally able to perform his duties.

All in all, Sportacus felt offended that the council, including his dad, would suggest, almost _threat_ even, that he find his replacement. He scowled and left the letter on his food bar, calling the ladder down and descending to the world below.

**\------**

Nothing was better for forgetting your troubles than hanging out with friends.

Sportacus laughed heartily as he balanced a ball on his ankle, stopping one of the kids from kicking it away. He bounced it into the air before kicking it left, landing near Stephanie’s feet for her to score a goal with.

Despite it being late February, there was still a thick blanket of snow on the ground. It was a few days old, thoroughly clumped into a stable, mostly flat layer of ground. It was just warm enough that it hadn’t melted or iced over yet either, making it perfect for a careful game of soccer (or really just passing the ball around, since running around in cold weather could be bad for the lungs).

“Goooooaaaaaalll!” Stephanie cheered as Jives failed to stop the ball. Her team whooped, clapping their mittened hands or sharing high fives. Sportacus laughed and congratulated them all, proud of them for being active despite the cold.

“That was a good game, guys!” Ziggy commented, his tone a little down since he was on the opposing team. Pixel clapped him on the back in reassurance, agreeing with his commentary.

“Ziggy’s right! Nice game, guys. How about we play one more before we all go in for some hot cocoa? There’s a bunch of packets left in Town Hall that the mayor has been complaining about that we can use.”

“That sounds like a great idea! We could probably borrow a movie from the library and watch it in the lounge, too.” Trixie suggested, met with the thunderous agreement of the elementary schoolers.

“I-I wanna watch Toy Story!” Cried Susie.

“No, I wanna watch Wall-E!” Nate argued.

Stingy huffed, pulling at his mittened hands before putting his nose into the air. “ _I_ suggest we watch _my_ movie.”

“Oh yeah, and what would that be, Stinge?” Trixie tutted.

“The Road to El Dorado, of course.”

“Oh my god!” Jives half gasped, half screamed.

“What, is that a good movie?” Stephanie asked, unfamiliar with the title.

“No- I mean yes, but no! _That’s_ Gabriella Glæpur!” He exclaimed, pointing to a girl walking with three grown men a few walls over. Sportacus immediately whipped his head in her direction, eyes narrowed.

“Who’s that?” Pixel’s nose wrinkled with the unfamiliar name.

“Back when I went to school in MayhemTown, I had this stupid crush on her in elementary school. I eventually got over it, and then our friend groups kinda meshed. We became best friends! When I moved we kept in touch but…” Jives trailed off and shook his head, “We lost contact. I don’t really know, but we just fell out of touch. I haven’t seen her since like, the fifth grade!”

“Gabriella…?....Ella! Hey, Ella!” Sportacus called, realization hitting him head on. The elf waved his arms in greeting as he yelled, grabbing the attention of winter-clad Ella and her three uncles.

“Sportacus! There you are!” She laughed, jumping over the walls and giving her uncle’s practical-boyfriend a hug. Bobby, Tobby, and Flobby followed suit, albeit a bit slower.

“Hey! Wow, it’s been almost a month since I last saw you. Look at you, Ella! You look so wonderful.” Sportacus purred, patting the girl’s head and fixing her with a cheery smile.

“Thank you! You look really good too, Sportacus.” She giggled. It was then she spotted Jives and squealed, tackling her old best friend in a hug.

Trixie wrinkled her nose, watching the two teenagers. When they finally stopped hugging Jives stepped forward.

“Guys, this is Ella. I’m not really sure how Sportacus knows her, but I bet he can vouch for me when I say that she’s super chill.”

“Hello!” Ella smiled, waving to the clustering children confidently, if not a little shyly.

“Hello, Ella. My name’s Stephanie.”

“I’m Pixel.”

“ _My_ name is Stingy. It’s nice to meet you.”

“....Trixie.”

“H-hey! My name’s Ziggy! Do you want some candy?”

Trixie rolled her eyes and clapped Ziggy on the back. “Ziggy, you can’t just go offering people candy all the time!”

“B-But it’s a welcoming gift!” He pouted.

“Haha, no thank you, but thanks for offering.” Ella grinned, waving him off.

Stephanie looked over as Bobby, Tobby, and Flobby finally joined the group. Their faces were covered by the grey wall of their evaporating breaths, smiles hidden as they silently greeted Sportacus. She furrowed her eyebrows, wondering why they looked so familiar.

Finally, her eyes lit up when it hit her.

“Hey, you three helped Robbie one time! You were trying to get Sportacus to leave town.”

The young girl frowned, wondering why they were back. They looked similar to Ella, so she pondered the thought that they’re related. Pixel, Stingy, and Trixie thought the same, while Ziggy was purely convinced they were back to make Sportacus leave.

“Y-you can’t make him go!” He huffed, crossing his arms defiantly. Bobby chuckled softly at the sight, looking over to his brother’s best friend with a smile.

“They sure are protective of you, Sport. Nice bunch of kids. Nah, don’t worry, guys. We’re just visiting.”

“ _Visiting?_ Since when do villains visit their old enemies?” Trixie sneered. She wasn’t often this protective of her friends, but she had an urge to do just that. Eventually, when the group visited often in the spring, she’d settle down.

“My dad and I are looking to move to Lazytown. My Uncles- Bobby, Tobby, and Flobby- decided to come with us.” Ella explained. Jives flashed the boys a smile; he’d met them once at one of Ella’s birthday parties.

“Speaking of Glanni, where is he?” Sportacus asked, stepping back into the conversation.

“Talking with Uncle Robbie. Then he’s going to meet the mayor and a real estate agent.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, _whoa_.” Trixie practically yelled, hands in the air as if to physically halt the conversation. “ _You’re_ related to _Robbie Rotten?_ ”

Ella blinked and then nodded. “Yeah, I am. My last name’s Glæpur, but that’s only because my dad changed it when he was younger. It _used_ to be Rotten.”

Sportacus watched as Trixie went from squinted eyes to a curt, yet relaxed, nod. She had respect for anyone that was related to Robbie, so long as they didn’t hurt her friends or her town. The sight made his heart soar, seeing Trixie grow as a person.

Flobby looked behind himself at the sound of a front door closing. He watched as Glanni and Robbie strode out, finishing a hushed conversation. Glanni looked triumphant while Robbie looked agitated. The smallest Rotten Triplet tapped on Sportacus’ shoulder and smiled, signing to him in hopes the elf understood.

Luckily for him, Sportacus had stayed true to his word and practiced sign language almost everyday. He was able to dissect what was being said and signed his reply back. Flobby grinned brightly and clapped his hands.

“Eh, somethin’ happening?” Tobby asked, looking over at the pair.

“Flobby just offered to look after the kids while I go talk to Robbie. I’ll be right back. Be good, kids!” He warned playfully, fixing them with a half-stern glare before jumping a wall.

Slowly, Jives went over and picked up the almost forgotten soccer ball. “Who’s up for one last game?”

Meanwhile, Sportacus jogged over to Robbie. Glanni had seen the elf coming and swiftly made his leave, winking to his brother and mouthing him a kiss. Robbie shuddered and fixed Sportacus with a tired glare.

“Hello, Robbie! I haven’t seen you all day, but I just saw Ella and the boys. Flobby said you had something to talk to me about?”

“Oh great, they really do have this thing orchestrated.”

“What?” Sportacus asked, taken aback by his friend’s venomous tone.

Robbie rubbed his forehead in thought before letting out a heavy, almost painful sigh. On second thought, Sportacus realized, with Robbie’s damaged lungs, it probably was painful.

“Listen, Sportacus. I have doctor’s appointments every few months to check on my lungs, see how they’re doing and all that _great jazz_. Since I don’t like my family worrying about me, I try not to tell them what my doctor says. Keyword try, because my family is made of up assholes and they always find a way to force one of them to come with me.”

“I don’t understand how this has any connection to me.” Sportacus murmured, feeling the implementation that Robbie was going to involve him in something.

Another heavy sigh.

“I have a doctor's appointment in March and none of my family is available to go with me. I’m being blackmailed into asking you to come with me, if possible.”

Sportacus sputtered, eyes wide in shock. “Blackmail?! Robbie-”

“It’s nothing too serious, I’d rather not talk about it. Just-...can you come with me or not?”

“I-I mean, probably! As long as I’m not too busy saving somebody.” Sportacus answered, tone uncertain. Robbie seemed to both relax and tense at the answer, his shoulders hunched yet breathing evening out.

“Alright, good. I can get them off my back. Thanks, I guess.”

“It’s alright Robbie. Hey, since you’re outside, come and play with the kids and I? Once we’re done we’re going to go to the town hall and watch a movie with hot cocoa.”

Robbie groaned loudly, his head rolling back. “God damn, you don’t know how wonderful that sounds. Yes, I’ll come with you. Just for the cocoa.” He added, sending a weary glare Sportacus’ way.

Sportacus grinned and laughed, taking his best friend by his hand and tugging him into the social frays.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHAT'S THIS?? ACTUAL PLOT AND NOT FILLER SHIP-TEASING?? HOW DARE!!!
> 
> Haha, anyways, sorry for the short chapter, guys. I honestly thought it was longer?? Apparently not, whOOPs! But next chapter is pretty long, and has a certain lil' chef boi ya'll asked for! ;) 
> 
> As always, thank you for commenting?? I laughed so freaking hard at some of the comments on the last chapter, ya'll are freakin great xD 
> 
> Thank you for reading, have a great day/night c: <3


	15. Chapter Fourteen

By the time mid-March rolled around, Sportacus was a nervous wreck. _Somehow_ , Glanni had managed to hack into his airship and leave random messages on the interface. Their content ranged from harmless teasing to downright scary. One such message was about how if he didn’t go with Robbie to his doctor’s appointment, he’d tell Robbie about his ungodly crush. Sportacus had squeaked in fear at that one. 

So, dressed in a t-shirt and jeans with his suit’s jacket and crystal, Sportacus waited nervously on Robbie’s porch. He gave his best friend a smile when he appeared, looking disgruntled and huffy. Sportacus shrunk into himself and caught the bus, well aware of Robbie’s flared temper. 

A few years ago, virtually no one would be on the bus. Sometimes, the driver would even bypass Lazytown in an effort to finish his or her job faster. Now, though, the bus had at least a couple handfuls on board every morning and evening. There were people heading to BullyTown, BusyCity, even LiarTown or GreedyTown. Robbie and Sportacus, however, were going to MayhemTown. They’d have to stop in BusyCity and take another bus over, making their trip a total of fifty-five minutes.

Despite MayhemTown’s reputation and high crime, violence, and theft rates, they had excellent doctors and hospitals. Sportacus couldn’t help but think it was because of all the assault that happened there. Either way, Robbie was going to see a notoriously cheap yet renowned doctor by the name of Dr. Heathen. Sportacus had heard of him before- the doctors at the small LazyTown Clinic always recommended him. 

“Say, Sportacus, how come you’re taking the bus, with Robbie Rotten no less?” Asked a male adult on the bus. He was coming from Lazytown as well, a man Sportacus recognized from the suburbs. Both Robbie and Sportacus shifted at his sneered tone towards the taller male, making them both uncomfortable. 

“We’re taking a trip to MayhemTown-”

“But what about Lazytown? Surely someone will get into trouble.” The male huffed, clearly worried. If Sportacus remembered correctly, he had two small children and a wife recovering from surgery. He could see why the man was concerned, but it didn’t make his offensive tone less rude. 

“I’m sure they will, but I have my crystal just in case. Stephanie and Stingy are taking up on my duties today. I left them with my bracers, which connects to my airship, which is also connected to my crystal. If anything happens, then they not only know who or where but they’ll have backup.” 

The man seemed to relax slightly at the explanation. Any other passengers on the bus also relaxed, but they were more or less happy to have the ‘superhero’ with _them_ , in case there was trouble. 

“What if something...something really bad happens?” Asked a young child. He was sitting on his mother’s lap down the aisle, innocently looking at his role model. 

“Well...Stephanie and Stingy have Robbie’s number if anything happens, so we can immediately leave. If it’s that bad, my airship will send out my skutla to pick us up in.” 

“Besides, I heard the Mayor will be showing around some possible new policemen around today, in case they decide they would like to be positioned in Lazytown’s new police department.” Robbie grunted, nonchalantly looked at the passengers before back out the bus window. 

This answer seemed to calm all the passengers. Of course, they weren’t the most relaxed knowing two twelve year olds (Stingy had turned on March 1st, and had giant party at his mansion to commemorate it.) were protecting their town, but they were smart twelve year olds, so hopefully everything would be okay. 

The rest of the ride went by smoothly. Everybody contented themselves to their own devices, leaving Robbie and Sportacus to whisper their own conversation. A few adults spared a glance at the two men, sitting so close together, heads bowed and foreheads touching. Nobody commented, however. 

At BusyCity, Sportacus and Robbie deboarded the bus. Robbie had to drag the elf, who was profusely waving and shouting goodbye to the bus driver. Afterwards, he had to keep a brisk pace with his energetic friend. Sportacus wouldn’t stop _flipping_ , and _jumping_ , and _running_ , since this would be the only time all day he’d have the opportunity to do so. 

“Why must you be so damn _active?!_ ” Robbie growled, finally catching Sportacus and tugging him to a halt.

Sportacus grinned, not even a bead of sweat shed. “Because, being active is good for you! Besides, if this is the only time I’m able to properly move today, then I’m going to take advantage of it. Now come on, Lazybones! We have a bus to catch!” 

Robbie swore violently as Sportacus flipped away, leaving him to _jog_ , of all things, to catch up. 

At the bus station, the duo had to wait ten minutes for the MayhemTown bus. Robbie sat on a bench, shielding his face with his hands and pointedly looking _away_ from Sportacus, who continued to jump and flip and do weird walking handstands. They had gathered a small crowd, a few people tried to give them money. Sportacus refused to take it, leaving Robbie to internally curse. Really, who refused _money?_ Sportacus, apparently. 

The MayhemTown bus arrived during the middle of an incident where a young boy insisted on giving Sportacus money, who repeatedly declined accepting it. When the womanly voice came over the intercom stating that their bus had arrived, Robbie grabbed Sportacus and practically carried him onto the bus. They nabbed two seats in the front, making it easy for everyone else to bypass and ignore them. 

Around halfway to MayhemTown, Robbie turned to Sportacus and laid a ground rule. “Alright, so once we get there, I’ll have to check in. I would tell you to stay in the lobby and wait, but Glanni and the boys were intent on having you go into the back with me to speak with the doctor. So...just don’t make it awkward, or anything.” 

“That sounds good enough for me. Glanni has been telling me that I need to stay by your side and report everything that the doctor says.”

Robbie stuttered to a stop, looking at Sportacus with brows furrowed and mouth sneered. “Wait a second, how are you in contact with Glanni? You don’t even have a cell phone number!” 

Sportacus shrugged, just as lost as his best friend. “Beats me. He hacked into my ship’s AI. He keeps leaving weird messages on my interface. It’s super weird- they range from flirty to threatening.” 

_“Flirty?!”_

Sportacus shrugged again, electing to ignore the blush on his face, and the one on Robbie’s. The elf watched as Robbie pulled out his phone and furiously texted his brother. 

_[ Sent to Annoying Asshole]: Stop flirting with my best friend. It’s weird. And threatening him- it’s rude. How’d you even hack his airship anyways???_

An almost immediate reply.

**[ Received from Annoying Asshole]: I have my ways~ and no I won’t- it’s fun to toy with him! >:P **

Robbie looked up at his best friend desperately and hung his head. Sportacus sighed and shook his own, slouching in his seat. Only another ten agonizing minutes to go.

**\------**

“Robin Rotten? Room number four, please.” 

Sportacus looked up abruptly, watching Robbie heave himself out of the uncomfortable lobby chair. Robbie moved towards the door, gave the nurse a strained smile, and almost shut the door to room number four on Sportacus’ face. 

“Robbie-”

“Stay out here for a moment. I have to get the gown on.” 

“O-oh…” Sportacus breathed. He felt his face heat up in slight embarrassment before leaning his back against the wall, refusing to think about Robbie being almost _naked_. They were at a doctor’s office, it was time to be _civil_. 

After a few moments, “You can come in now.” Sportacus nodded dumbly and shuffled into the too-clean room, closing the door behind him. 

On the examination bed, Robbie sat against the wall, his front covered by the paper polkadotted gown that was mandatory for him to wear. There was a neatly folded pile of his clothes on the end of the table, only confirming Sportacus’ thoughts that, excluding underwear and socks, Robbie was _naked_ under a sheet of paper. Sportacus took a deep breath and shoved himself into a chair, refusing to make eye contact with Robbie. 

Neither spoke to the other, much to each other’s nerves. Robbie was tired, grumpy, and huffy, but he was somehow glad Sportacus was with him. He could tell how unnerved his best friend was; bouncing his legs, wringing his hands, biting his lip, and most noticeably _refusing_ to be social, which was more than abnormal. 

Robbie opened his mouth to ask if Sportacus was okay, since their room was closed and had enough space for pushups at least, when the door opened and a nurse walked in. 

“Hello boys, everything good today?” A warm smile with a hint of a southern accent, barely noticeable however. 

Robbie nodded, lips again pulled into a strained smile. “Yes, everything is good.”

“Wonderful! Well, I’m just going to take a few measurements here before I send the doctor in.” She hummed as she grabbed a few instruments from a nearby cabinet and took Robbie’s blood pressure, noted his reflexes, and asked a few questions that Robbie effortlessly answered for her. 

“Thank you, Robin! I’ll leave you and your lover be- the doctor will be in in a few minutes.” She gave them a bright smile before exiting the room, leaving the two men sputtering with faces of pure red. 

Robbie glanced over at Sportacus, head unturned, and noticed the way the elf sat. Ramrod straight, feet firmly planted on the ground, head tilted down and eyes locked on the floor, his hands fisted into his pant legs. Sportacus’ face was probably redder than Robbie’s own, although he ignored the observation in favor of making sure he was okay. 

“Y-you’re, ah...Lookin a little… stiff over there, Sporto….Y-you okay?” Robbie winced at the stammer in his voice, the way he had to force the words out of his mouth. 

Sportacus perked up and shook his head violently, still not making eye contact. “N-no! I’m okay! Just- a little disoriented. I’ve never been to a human doctor’s office before, let alone one that’s practically connected to the hospital at the end of the hall.” 

Robbie gave a soft ‘ahhh’. He could understand how Sportacus felt, with the cultural differences. Not to mention that Robbie, too, disliked hospitals. They were always too clean or too busy, too many noises or distractions. He wasn’t sure how the staff worked with so much going on. 

Sportacus truly looked over at Robbie for the first time since entering the office, his cheeks still bright red, his eyes a vibrant blue. He took in Robbie’s similar appearance, still trying to shove the thought of Robbie naked...laid out on his bed- _out of his head._

Now it was Sportacus’ turn to try and say something, only for the door to open. Both men looked over as Dr. Heathen walked in, a bright looking hispanic man. In his arms he held a clipboard with numerous papers, a folder tucked under his arm. If Sportacus shifted to the right, he could just barely make out Robbie’s name on the tag. 

“Hello, boys! I must say, I’m surprised to see a new face. Usually I see Glanni or Tobby sitting in the chair. I’m Dr. Heathen, it’s nice to meet you, Mr….?”

“A-ah! Sportacus, is fine.” Sportacus sputtered, a little late to taking Dr. Heathen’s outstretched hand. They shook quickly, Dr. Heathen giving Sportacus a sparkling smile before leaning against the examination table and flipping through the papers on his clipboard. 

“Alright, Robin. So, we did get your blood work from last week examined. I’m quite surprised, and happy, to say that there was more oxygen in it than there was last time we did blood work! Not to mention your blood pressure was lower, so that’s good. Congratulations, Robbie.” He grinned again, flipping through a few more pages. 

“With those results, I’m hoping that when we test your lung capacity today we’ll yield better results. If everything goes well, then I think I can finally tell you that your lungs are healing!” 

“Wait,” Sportacus interrupted, confused, “if you don’t mind my asking, were his lungs _not_ healing before?”

Dr. Heathen made a small noise, shaking his free hand as if to say more or less. 

“You see, Robin’s lungs work well enough that he doesn’t need an oxygen tank to breath, and that he can do most basic exercises without too much difficulty. However, we’ve been worried about the damage and further deterioration to his lungs since his accident, leading us to think his lungs were, in a sense, dying faster than they were healing. 

“However! From the results I’m reading right now, it looks like they might finally be starting to heal. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if they would, but it looks like they have a pretty good chance of it. Of course, he will still have difficulties with irritants in the air or certain types of heavy exercises, but he’ll be in better condition than what he’s in right now.” Dr. Heathen finished with a tut, flipping the papers back down and getting out his stethoscope. 

Sportacus flashed Robbie an excited look, the first once since the BusyCity bus station. Robbie was getting _healthier_ and his lungs were _healing_. All very good signs, of which Robbie was even smiling at. 

“Alright now, Robin, I’m just going to listen to you breathe for a second. Try and keep it as normal as possible. I’ll let you know when I want deep breathes, however.” Dr. Heathen said, sitting on the examination table and pressing the cool, metallic diaphragm to Robbie’s back. 

Sportacus watched silently as Robbie stared blankly ahead at the wall, breathing as though he normally would. Every once in awhile Dr. Heathen would move the chestpiece and request that Robbie take a deep breath, resulting in a louder intake of air. It was getting hard to stay in place, Sportacus realized, but was grateful when Dr. Heathen leaned back off of the examination table and smiled at Robbie. 

“Definitely better than the last time I heard it. Now give me a minute to find the spirometer, that way we can measure your lung capacity.” 

Dr. Heathen left the room for a moment, leaving Sportacus and Robbie alone together. As soon as the doctor was out, Sportacus jumped up before dropping down into some pushups, reveling in the satisfaction of feeling active. Robbie rolled his eyes but said nothing, used to this sort of demonstration. 

When Dr. Heathen walked back in, Sportacus sheepishly moved back into his chair. The doctor paid him no mind, however, as he pushed a hand-held device into Robbie’s hand. 

“Do you remember how to use it?”

“Yeah. I pinch my nose, then I blow into the mouthpiece as fast and completely as I can.”

“Good! Alright, I’ve already set the settings…” Dr. Heathen murmured, double checking what he’d input before grabbing a mouthpiece and connecting it to the electronic device. He then handed it over to Robbie, who pinched his nose in one hand before breathing deeply and blowing into mouthpiece. The device beeped for a few seconds, measuring the airflow being put into it, before the sound died out. Dr. Heathen took it back and recorded the first result. 

“Alright, good, good….Let’s do that a few more times.” He said, handing it back over. Sportacus watched curiously, his ears twitching slightly under his hat at the sounds of the beeps. 

Eventually, after about three more attempts, Dr. Heathen took the spirometer back and looked between the old and new results. Both men watched him scribble a few things down before leaving again for a moment, excusing himself last minute. He came back in again about five minutes later, grinning brightly. 

“Good news, Robin! The spirometer results were better this time than last time. From what we can tell, you’re lungs are healing and your lung capacity is increasing. Congratulations!” 

Sportacus whooped excitedly, standing up and giving his best friend a hug. Robbie was chuckling too, patting Sportacus’ arm. He was proud, to say the least. Sportacus was proud too, purring lowly in his chest as he congratulated Robbie. 

The doctor continued to explain something along the lines of more testing, if Robbie was interested. Robbie declined, saying these results were enough for him until the next visit. Dr. Heathen laughed and started for the door again, telling them they were all set and for the two sputtering ‘lovers’ to have a nice day. Sportacus practically leaped out of the door after him, letting Robbie change back into his normal clothes before they left. 

As soon as Robbie’d paid and checked out, Sportacus skipped happily outside the hospital. They were headed back towards the bus station, hoping to catch the noon bus back to BusyCity. Sportacus poked Robbie’s shoulder and grinned up at him. 

“ _I_ think we should have lunch to celebrate. I know the perfect restaurant in BusyCity, too!” 

“Oh, do you now? It isn’t just sole sportscandy being served there, is it?” Robbie scoffed, an eyebrow raised. 

Sportacus snorted back, mock offended. “No, of course not! Actually, I’m pretty good friends with the guy who owns and cooks there. He has some great lunches and dinners, but he also has some pretty tasty deserts, or at least I hear they are.” 

Robbie hummed lowly under his breath, trying to decide whether or not to actually take time out of his day for this. In the end, his extremely rumbly tummy won. Sportacus cheered softly, eyes gleaming in success. 

“I promise you won’t regret it Robbie, their food is so good! You’ll love it for sure!” 

“Yeah, yeah, Sportadork. Let’s just get there and have me decide for myself.” Robbie grunted. He tried and failed to ignore the tugging on his shoulder, Sportacus pulling him along in hopes to get there faster.

**\------**

“Chef Pablo Fantastico’s Mediterranean Delights,” Robbie read, squinting up at the neon sign. Sportacus grinned brightly at him, hands on his hips in his signature pose.

“The have such great food, Robbie! You’ll love it!” 

“Don’t they take reservation only?” Robbie asked, looking down at Sportacus with a worried expression. Sportacus shook his head, waving his friend off. 

“No, no, not his inland location. Pablo only takes reservations for his Lazytown lakeside restaurant. The inland locations are like any other family food place.” 

Robbie ‘ahh’ed, nodding his head in understanding. Sportacus took Robbie’s arm and heaved him into the restaurant. They stood in a moderately full waiting area with two small families and a few couples. Robbie nabbed a seat and watched the elf put their names on the table list, jiggling his leg in anticipation. 

So far, everything _smelled_ great. All sorts of spices wafted through the air, making Robbie’s head spin delightfully. From what he could see of the already eating patrons, the food even _looked_ good, despite it’s obvious attention to fresh vegetables. A waiter wheeled a cart of desert over to a family that was seated by the waiting area, giving Robbie a _very_ good idea of what to order for desert. 

“Rotten, table for two?”

“That would be us!” Sportacus gasped, excitedly jumping up from his seat besides Robbie, following the hostess to their table. Along the left side of the building, right in front of a large window, was where the hostess stopped. Sportacus slid into his seat and gave Robbie a thumbs up. When the time came, Sportacus ordered iced water while Robbie asked for a soda. 

Robbie picked up the menu that was placed in front of him. It was four pages long, different categories of foods on each one. Everything was too healthy though, leaving Robbie to huff in disappointment. He was deciding on which type of the twenty pasta choices when Sportacus spoke up. 

“What do you think you’ll get?”

“Probably one of the pastas- everything else is far too healthy. What about you?”

“I’m going to get the grilled halibut. Hey, I’ll be right back. I’m going to use the bathroom.” Robbie murmured an affirmation, not really paying attention to him anymore. What _did_ catch his attention, however, was the excited greeting of Sportacus and somebody else not even twenty feet away. 

“Sportacus! Mi amigo!” 

“Ah, Chef Pablo!” Sportacus cheered, outstretched arms enveloping his friend in a hug. The two of them kissed each other’s cheeks in greeting, laughing and smiling in friendly conversation. Robbie watched and felt something hard settle in his stomach, making him furrow his brow and slouch heavily into his seat. He felt sick all too fast. 

The two men had moved farther away into a different aisle, making eavesdropping impossible. Robbie found that that was a good thing, however, as his thoughts wandered. 

_He’s so glad to see Chef ‘Probably an Idiot’- I thought he had to use the bathroom!....Why are they so happy together? How? They barely know each other- it’s downright unfair. Why, with the way they’re acting, they might as well be dating-_

Oh, now wasn’t that a wonderful thought? Robbie groaned and smacked his head against the table, grimacing out of pain and frustration. Just- why? Why did his brain always do this to him? 

_There’s no way they’re dating. Sportacus is so busy in Lazytown that he never actually sees Pablo. But they could have some sort of a system worked out? No- no way. If Sportacus was dating somebody he’d probably be gushing to me about them constantly...unless he wanted it a secret, in which case he’d never speak a work about it…._

Robbie groaned and hit his head against the table again. Stupid thoughts. Very stupid thoughts. 

__

_First off, Sportacus is not dating anybody. I’m not an idiot, I know that much. Pablo is barely ever in Lazytown anyways. They’re just….really...really good friends. Fuck, I’m jealous, aren’t I?_

For once, Robbie wish for social stimulation. He _needed_ a conversation to keep his brain from thinking. But, as karma always had it, Sportacus was talking with his _absolute bestie_ , and around him sat happy families who wouldn’t appreciate being bothered by a weird, lonely man. 

Finally, uncomfortably, Robbie took a red crayon from off the ground and began to draw on his napkin. He draw himself, Sportacus, and Pablo. He wrote insults like ‘stupid’ and ‘asshole’ over himself, some choice words over Pablo, and was brainstorming insults for Sportacus. Robbie sighed softly- he wished his brain would just shut off for a thousand years. 

Meanwhile, Sportacus chatted affably with Chef Pablo. He never got to see the Spanish chef that often, although they skyped every few weekends in attempts to keep in touch. 

“What are you doing here, Sportacus? Had I know you were coming, I’d’ve made a special dish, just for you!” 

Sportacus laughed, shaking his head. “No, no, you don’t have to do that, Pablo. I’m here with my friend, Robbie Rotten-”

“Robbie Rotten? Wasn’t he the one who put me in a sack and tried to ruin my lakeside attraction, the _very day_ it opened?” Pablo asked, nose wrinkled. Sportacus chuckled softly and nodded. “Well...not to be rude, I’m usually rather accepting, but...why is he in my restaurant?”

“W-well, you see, there was an incident-”

“Oh?” Pablo raised an eyebrow. 

“Yes, well, about two years ago he was in a fire, aaaand his lungs haven’t been the same since, buuuut he had a doctor’s appointment today, and they said his lungs are finally healing! We’re here to celebrate.” Sportacus rubbed the back of his neck, silently pleading that his other best friend would understand. 

“Why- Sportacus! That’s great news! Listen, as long as he isn’t here to ruin my food, my establishment, or disrupt any patrons, then I am more than happy to welcome him into my restraunts in the future. He seems rather….relaxed- more so than the last time I saw him.” Pablo said, looking over to where Robbie was scribbling with a mysterious crayon on a napkin. 

“Thank you, Pablo! Um...actually, now that I’ve got you here...remember how when I saved you, you said you owed me a favor? And I told you that you didn’t? Weeeeeelllllll, could I maybe, just maybe, ask a small favor of you?” Sportacus asked, voice an octave higher, two fingers pinched barely a centimeter apart to accentuate his point. 

Pablo smirked and crossed his arms, “I’m listening, Sportacus.”

“Could you make him a special dish? One that’s on the sweeter side, with not as much vegetables? And maybe something _very_ chocolatey for dessert?”

Sportacus bit his lip as he watched Chef Pablo Fantastico look between him and Robbie. A smirk spread across his face and he leaned in close, a hand cupped to hush their conversation from prying ears. 

“I could be reading this wrong, but are you, perhaps, head over heels for Mr. Rotten? Is this a date?” The blush Pablo got from Sportacus served as his answer, sending him into excited fits of giggles. Sportacus did manage to stutter that they were here _specifically in celebration_ , no dating of any kind. Still, Pablo looked at him with sympathy and amusement. 

“Oh, Sportacus! This is _fantastico!_ For you, I’ll do anything. He must have changed a little bit for you to like him so much, and I think that’s wonderful. Of course I’ll make a special meal for him, and I won’t even charge you for it.”

Sportacus couldn’t help but sigh in relief.“ Really? Oh, thank you so much, Pablo! You don’t understand how much it means to me.” 

“Believe me, amigo, I think I have an idea.” Pablo winked and hugged his friend goodbye, whisking himself into the kitchen to get started. Sportacus bit his lip in excited anxiousness and, _finally_ , rushed himself into the bathroom. 

**\------**

Sportacus watched Robbie narrowed his eyes as Chef Pablo set the dish in front of him. He regarded it suspiciously, looking back up at Pablo with a slight sneer. 

“This isn’t what I ordered.” He said it as a statement, but his tone concluded it to sound more like a question. 

“No, amigo, it’s not! You have a secret admirer in attendance today,” Pablo ignored Sportacus’ panicked blush, “who ordered something special for you!”

“Secret admirer?” Robbie muttered, unfamiliar with the words on his tongue. He sat up straighter and tried to peer around the restaurant. Unfortunately, the architecture of the building prevented him from spotting anybody familiar. “I’m guessing if I ask who it is, you won’t tell me?”

“Correct! Their identity is safe with me.” Pablo covered a hand over his heart, smiling warmly while discreetly stealing looks at Sportacus. Before Robbie could ask another question, he bowed to them, taking the serving tray and disappearing down the aisle. “Enjoy your meal, amigos! It was specifically made with love and passion, so I suggest you do!” 

Sportacus heaved a low, relieved sigh. Robbie rolled his eyes in his seat, picked up his fork, and poked his food. “I didn’t get to ask him what this even _is_. Do you have any idea?”

Sportacus leaned forward to get a better look at the plate before him. “Uhh..I’m not sure, to be honest. How about you take a bite and find out?”

“What if I’m allergic to it?”

Sportacus furrowed his brows in concern. “A-are you allergic to anything?”

“Eh, just bees. There’s a reason I try to stay away from large flower patches.” 

Sportacus snorted, relieved that the man before him could eat whatever it was that Pablo had made. He bit his inner cheek before smiling widely, “Well go ahead and try it, then!” 

Robbie grumbled, not truly trusting the plate of food in front of him, but shoveled some onto his fork and took a bite. When Sportacus didn’t see Robbie gagging or trying to spit it out, he took it as okay. That rating changed to amazing as Robbie couldn’t seem to get enough of it, soft groans of enjoyment escaping him. 

“Jesus, this is so good!” He gasped. 

“Is it?”

“Yes! It’s- it’s so weird. I don’t know what it is, still, but it tastes sweet and delicious!” Robbie exclaimed, accentuating his point by taking another bite. Sportacus chuckled and decided to take a bite of his grilled halibut, purring when he found it to be quite appetizing. 

Robbie pulled out his phone suddenly, brows pulled together in agitation. Sportacus could only guess that he was annoyed to have been distracted from his new delicious meal, because who would _dare_ interrupt Robbie from his food? 

“Shit. We never texted Glanni and the boys.” 

“Oh? Well, we best tell them now, then.” 

Robbie grumbled but submitted, pushing his plate away so he could text without the possibility of dropping his phone into his food. 

_[Sent to Weird Family]: I just got my ass chewed out by Glanni for forgetting to update you guys, sorry not sorry. Anyways, my lungs are healing, I’m apparently on the true road to recovery now._

**[Received from Annoying Asshole]: Congrats, fucking finally.**

**[Received from Tripple Rotten]: Aren’t you supposed to send balloons and confetti? I mean, he’s finally healing!! Congrats, Robbie! (balloon and confetti emojis)**

_[Sent to Weird Family]: Thank you. We can have a real celebration later, Tobby._

**[Received from Billboard Rotten]: We better! Congrats, brother!**

_[Sent to Weird Family]: Thanks, Bobby._

**[Received from Annoying Asshole]: Ella said congratulations with probably a million exclamation points. She also demands a party.**

**[Received from Floppy Disk Rotten]: Congratulations Robbie! If we’re going to have a party, we can have it at the house again :)**

**[Received from Tripple Rotten]: Yeah!! We should invite Sportacus too, since he went with Robbie to the appointment.**

“They’re inviting you to a celebration party.” Robbie said, glancing up from the conversation on his phone to the elf across from him. Sportacus was half-finished with his food and watched Robbie’s fingers tap over the screen, getting haphazard glances at the conversation. 

“Oh? Well tell them I’ll go, if I’m truly invited!”

_[Sent to Weird Family]: He said he’d go to the party._

**[Received from Billboard Rotten]: Yay!**

**[Received from Tripple Rotten]: Awesome! We’ll have to buy more fruits and vegetables again.**

**[Received from Floppy Disk Rotten]: We will, but that’s okay! I bet Ella will be ecstatic to hear the news :D**

**[Received from Annoying Asshole]: You have no idea.**

Sportacus giggled as he read the conversation. Robbie’d handed over his phone so he could finish eating, leaving Sportacus to watch the group chat. He sent a line of laughing and thumbs up emojis. Immediately everybody said hello to him, since Robbie rarely ever used emojis, or that many in one message at once. 

“Are they being idiots?” Robbie asked. He was almost done with the sweet concoction that Chef Pablo had made for him, only a few bites left on his plate. Sportacus shook his head, “No, I just sent some emojis and everyone said hi.” 

“Of course they know it’s you. Whenever there’s emojis in my texts it’s only because you have my phone.” Sportacus smiled sheepishly, knowing the ever true statement. 

“Amigos, hello!” Chef Pablo popped up besides their table, smile bright as always. Robbie jumped and almost choked on his last bite while Sportacus looked up nonchalantly from his phone. “Are we done here? I’ll take your dishes. Was the food alright?”

“Alright? It was delicious!” Robbie groaned.

“I have to agree, you truly outdid yourself, Pablo.” Sportacus smiled warmly, sharing a knowing look with his friend. 

“Awe, why thank you! Your kind words touch the deepest cavities of my heart. I’m happy you enjoyed my food with such passion, amigos. Do you think you’ll stay for dessert?” 

Robbie chuckled throatily, leaning back in his seat with crossed arms. “Think? No, I _know_ we’re staying for dessert. As full as I am, I’m always up for a little sweet treat.” 

Pablo laughed, clapping his hands together before gathering the pair’s dirty dishes. “Wonderful, excellent! There’s a dessert menu behind the condiments right over there for you to look through. I’ll be back in a few minutes to take your order.” 

Before Pablo could even leave, Robbie snatched the menu and began to scan it’s contents. Sportacus decided not to order anything, just from the amount of sugar he could practically _see_ in every slice of cake or helping of ice cream. On the other hand, Robbie was drooling in need. Everything looked _so good_ , it was simply too hard to choose. 

“What about the triple chocolate-”

“Maybe, I’m not sure. The brownie and ice cream combination looks very appetizing though.”

“Well, what about the banana split?” Sportacus suggested. Robbie grunted and shook his head, not in the mood for anything else healthy. He’d found vegetables mixed into his lunch, which he regretfully ate, and refused to eat any more sportscandy for the rest of the week. 

“I think I’m going to get the Brownie Oreo Bust-”

“Oh? Excellent choice!” Pablo whistled, popping back up with a pad of paper and pen in hand. Sportacus and Robbie blinked and watched as Pablo excused himself, practically flying into the kitchen to ready the desert. Neither man ended up giving him too much thought, instead striking up another conversation. 

When Chef Pablo made his return, ten minutes later, desert in hand, Robbie forgot everything he was doing solely to focus on his new task at hand. Pablo stayed for the first bite, beaming proudly when Robbie showered him in compliments about the dish. It was what he ordered, although altered with chocolate sauce, caramel, and little marshmallow hearts sprinkled all over the dish. 

“I’m pleased to hear you enjoyed it! I’ll bring your cheque by in a moment, but please, enjoy the rest of your food.” 

“Oh trust me, _I will._ ” Robbie guffawed, savoring another too-sugary bite. Sportacus cringed but smiled all the while, just glad to see his small favor paying off.

“Listen, Sportadork, if you could have sugar, then I’d probably make you try a bite of this thing. It’s fucking amazing. I’m not even lying- I’d probably marry it. Your little boytoy- boyfriend- _friend_ \- sorry, I didn’t mean the first two- really outdid himself.” 

Sportacus flushed under Robbie’s insults (nicknames?) for Pablo, since he felt no such emotions towards his other best friend, but was glad to see that Robbie liked the desert so much. The lanky man was still savoring it when Chef Pablo came with the cheque, so Sportacus fished out his card to pay for his own meal. Luckily for them, the entirety of Robbie’s was free. Pablo came back again later, returning Sportacus’ card, just as Robbie finished. There was some chocolate sauce on the side of his mouth that Sportacus fussily wiped away, Pablo smirking as he watched. 

“I’ll walk you two out. Thank you again for coming, it’s not everyday that I get to cook on improvisation!” Pablo sighed, murmuring something about passion and love. Robbie rolled his eyes but smiled as he walked. 

“Yes, well, it’s not everyday you eat something so good, either. I’m just glad this ended up being worthwhile.” 

“I told you you’d like it, but you were just so skeptical of me.” Sportacus sighed overdramatically, mocking Robbie’s oft used theatrics. This causing the two of them to squabble, sounding more like an old married couple than best friends. Pablo laughed and broke them up, hugging them each tightly and kissing their cheeks in farewell. Sportacus returned them; Robbie’s joints locked up in surprise. 

“Goodbye, Pablo! Thank you again!” Sportacus called, Robbie once more tugging him towards the bus station so they could catch an afternoon bus home. Robbie tried to yell something along the lines of goodbye, but it was drowned out by his sneering for Sportacus to calm down. 

Chef Pablo Fantastico watched the two men, bickering about something already, and noted their hearts were not in it. As much as they disagreed, Pablo could see the respect for one another in their relationship. He also caught the longing stares that Sportacus would give Robbie, and even the ones that Robbie gave back. As he leaned against the entranceway door, Pablo could tell that they were both utterly, deeply in love. They just didn’t know how to express it to the other yet. 

In true Chef Pablo Fantastico fashion, he thought, _If you put enough love and passion into your craft, then it’ll show_. It would just take some time for the pair to show, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of a late chapter, but all's good! But look who finaly debuted for, like, one chapter xD It's Chef Pablo! Ya'll wanted him, so I put him in there! I actually like writing him?? Very charismatic. Also, our little boy's lungs are healing!! He gettin' healthier! :D Look at him go! 
> 
> By the way, Doctor Heathen is made up, like the elementary school kids who show up. I didn't want to use Doctor Rottenstein, so I just used the first name that came to mind and it was Heathen! So, there's that :u 
> 
> I'm sure there's more that I wanted to say, but as I type this it's like just after midnight and my brain is shutting down a lil bit. So, thanks for everybody who commented last chapter, I really appreciated them! Also thanks to everybody that's read this, I hope you all have a wonderful day/night <3


	16. Chapter Fifteen

The cool yet warm winds that sailed through Lazytown signified the end of March, preceding the rains of April. It was one of the last days of March, the sun shining while white, puffy cumulus clouds wafted through the sky. It was warm enough that the trees were beginning to bud, only a few remaining snow mounds left on the town’s corners. Rain from a few days ago had finally dried from the ground, letting the kids sit and play games like duck-duck-goose. The dried grounds, Sportacus insisted, was why he was dragging Robbie out to the hill and tree for a picnic. 

Outside in the fields the winds blew to their heart’s content, leaving Sportacus’ hat flopping over the top of his head. He’d flipped up the hill, standing under the tree and looking out over the scenery while Robbie slowly ascended the hill. 

From the top, Sportacus could see miles of farmland. He could see the wall of forest over to his left, parts of the suburbs visible from behind Lazytown’s buildings. He could also see Robbie’s billboard, still charred from the fire two years ago. Even the unstable, dented hatch was visible as well. 

Abruptly, Sportacus remembered how it took the fire almost a week to stop burning underground, leaving smoke coming out of Robbie’s multiple hidden entrances. BusyCity and MayhemTown had loaned Lazytown some firetrucks and crew, but even then Robbie’s fire raged wild. Thankfully noone was hurt, but there were, and still are, concerns about the stability of the abandoned bunker. 

At the sound of soft wheezing, Sportacus whipped his head to Robbie, who was only three quarters up the hill. Sportacus went down and met him, helping him the rest of the way. Robbie, for once, didn’t object, taking Sportacus’ hand gratefully and letting himself be pulled up. 

“Sorry, I would have helped you sooner. I was lost in thought.” Sportacus apologized. Robbie nodded, a little short of breath, before looking out at his old home. Sportacus knew without having to ask what he was thinking about. Instead, he left Robbie to think for a few minutes while he laid out the blanket and food. Robbie sat down when Sportacus offered him a water, gulping it down silently. 

Suddenly, “The construction crew are supposed to start in the next week or two.” Robbie grunted. Sportacus hummed, having talked with the Mayor about more safety precautions around the working sites, seeing as the kids liked to play just about everywhere. 

“I think they are scheduled for next Monday to come in make sure nothing was too damaged by the cold. The Mayor said something about them taking a few weeks to prepare the sites, make sure everything is warm enough and in it’s best shape before they start.” 

“Well, at least I have a while then.” Robbie huffed. Sportacus pointed out that as soon as construction started that they’d have to have more picnics, seeing as the less polluted air of the countryside was good for him. Robbie snorted but didn’t try to prove him wrong. 

Over easy conversation, Sportcus and Robbie sorted through the food they’d packed. Sportacus found himself some apple slices in a baggie and munched on those, watching Robbie eat some chocolate covered pretzels. He was halfway through the baggie of fruit before pointing a half-eaten slice at the fae. 

“Truth or dare?”

“Oh, so we’re playing _that_ game again.” Robbie muttered, although there was no malice to this voice. Sportacus grinned brightly and waited for Robbie’s answer, which was truth. 

“Would you ever eat sportscandy without something sugary on it?” Robbie gave him a steely glare, obviously remembering the dare Sportacus had given him the last time they’d played. Sportacus laughed and finished his apple slice, waiting once more for Robbie’s answer. 

“....Maybe. If it was sweet enough.”

“Most fruits are sweet!” 

“Yes, but they have a weird taste! It’s not just sweet- it’s something else and I don’t really _like_ it.” Robbie huffed, sticking his tongue out slightly in disgust. Sportacus chuckled softly, smiling at the beautiful man in front of him. 

“A-alright, well, your turn to ask.” 

“Fine. Truth or dare, Sportaflop?”

“Dare, please.” 

Robbie muttered under his breath. He rubbed his profound chin in thought, eyes closed. Finally he opened them and pointed a wry finger Sportacus’ way. “I dare you….to backflip onto this branch,” he pointed to a sturdy low branch, “and backflip off of that, before rolling backwards down the hill. Think you can do that?” Sportacus looked up at the branch, then at the bottom of the hill. He hummed in thought, as though planning his trajectory. Standing up, he stood beside Robbie and let his fingers graze the leaves hanging from the low branch. 

“Do I get a running start?”

“You lose points if you do, but sure, if it helps.” 

Sportacus laughed, looking down at his handsome best friend and ungodly crush. “There’s points?!” 

Robbie shrugged, a soft ‘meh’ escaping his lips in his air of nonchalance. Sportacus laughed again before backing up a little, eyeing the branch warily. Grey eyes watched him, interested to see if he could pull the stunt off. Sportacus’ own baby blues met Robbie’s, making his heart flutter. Oh god, he was nervous now, because Robbie was _watching_ and he’s so _beautiful_ and he doesn’t want to make a fool of himself in front of _Robbie Rotten_. 

“Hey, I’ll count down.” Robbie said, noticing Sportacus’ sudden discomfort. Perhaps he wouldn’t pull the stunt off, but if the elf had an anchoring point to start from then maybe it’d help. 

“Alright….Three….two….one…..go!” 

Able to focus with Robbie’s warm voice guiding him, Sportacus took off. Suddenly, he shifted his weight and spun, launching himself into a backflip. He could feel his elven muscles working, pushing him higher than what normal human muscles could. Sportacus could see the branch out of his peripherals, smiling hastily when he landed. 

Next, another back flip before rolling down the hill. Without missing a beat, Sportacus turned again and seamlessly backflipped off. Robbie winced at the slight groan the branch gave, but other than shaking leaves nothing else happened. He turned his attention back to Sportacus, just catching him landing before crouching down and letting the momentum carry him. Sportacus could hear Robbie’s fond chuckle as he rolled down the hill, world blurred by the time he hit the bottom.

There was sure to be grass stains on his uniform, and other than the fact that he could _smell_ the grass up his nose, Sportacus thought that he did a pretty damn good job succeeding Robbie’s dare. He didn’t get up at first, because the world was _spinning_ , and the overwhelming smell of the actual grass up his nose was slightly nauseating. Robbie poked his head over the hillside, still chuckling fondly.

“Haha, that was pretty good, Sportaflip! I honestly thought you wouldn’t do it for a second there. Are...you okay? There’s a few blades of grass sticking out your nostrils.” Robbie snorted, watching Sportacus disorientedly pick the grass from his nose. 

_“That’s_ disgusting.”

“Y-yeah… tell me about it. All I can smell is _grass!_ ” Robbie laughed loudly at that, shaking his head. Sportacus refused his offer to help him up the hill, blundering his way up before flopping down onto the picnic blanket. 

“ _Ugh,_ no more truth and dare, for right now.” He shifted onto his back, arm over his head while his body recovered. Robbie apologized but Sportacus just laughed, waving his crush off. “Don’t worry, I just need to get the stench out of my nose. Then we can play again, or start something else.” 

“Alright, Sportaflop. I’ll give you five or ten minutes.” Robbie replied immediately, voice low and understanding. 

They fell into silence afterwards. Sportacus could hear his best friend getting out his phone, probably taking a picture or playing Candy Crush to pass the time. Personally, he contented himself to listening to Robbie’s nails against his phone screen, the soft rustling of the leaves against the wind in the background. His thoughts roamed, as they seemed to be doing more and more often, and about their favorite subject, no less. 

_Robbie’s so clever...to-to think of something to make me_ dzzy _of all things...It was a cool stunt though, maybe I’ll practice it...j-just to show him- just for Robbie...He’s so handsome, really handsome...and nice, when he wants to be, and I love how wonderful he is. I love all of him….God, listen to me, I sound like a preacher. The things he does to my brain!_

Lost in thought, Sportacus failed to pick up the sound of Robbie shuffling in the basket. The lanky man pulled out a plastic ball, just bigger than a baseball but smaller than a softball. He let himself play with it, getting a feel for the seams that jutted out smoothly from the blue plastic surface. Eventually, he tossed the object, letting it startle Sportacus as it hit his stomach. 

“Wh-ah-.....Robbie!” Sportacus gasped, picking up the ball and staring at his best friend. Robbie groaned, already regretting his decision to bring the ball. 

“God, you look like an excited puppy. You really want me to play, huh?” 

“You brought a ball! _You_ brought a _ball_ to _play catch_ with!!!” Sportacus squealed. Robbie just frowned at him, internally equal parts dread and excitement. 

“Play with me? Just for a little bit? Please? Pleasepleaseplease, Robbie? With a sugarcoated cherry on top?” Cue the puppy dog eyes, begging Robbie to play. He was the one to bring the ball, even if it was mainly for Sportacus to occupy himself with. 

Robbie sighed loudly and pointed down the hill. “I’m not going down the hill, because we’ll end up coming back _up_ , and I’ll be too exhausted to even try climbing it. You go down there, and we’ll throw it up and down the slope.” 

Sportacus squealed in excitement, standing up and racing down the hillside faster than was humanly possible. At the base he bounced on his tiptoes, biting his lip enthusiastically. Robbie gagged at his rambunctious energy, but tossed the ball down anyways. Sportacus eagerly dived for it, catching it in a spin before throwing it back up to Robbie, who caught it without trying. 

Robbie sat, mouth pressed into a firm line, ends quirked into a smile, at the top of the hill while Sportacus eagerly jumped around the base. The elf laughed purely, bouncing and catching the ball with every toss. A few times Robbie felt something light and happy in his chest, melting whatever stubborn meanness laid there. Soon enough, watching Sportacrush go, Robbie sighed and let himself giggle. 

“See? You’re enjoying yourself!” Sportacus laughed, sending the ball flying up the hill. Robbie snorted and caught it against his chest, teasingly looking away in a pretense of rudeness. 

“So what if I am? Purely because I want to be, and not because you’re beautifu- _boorish sneer_ and ador- _abhorring_ laughter is contagious, or anything.” Sportacus laughed, although his face was red because Robbie thought his ‘smile’ was beautiful, his laughter adorable. 

“W-well, Robbie-”

_Beepbeepbeepbeep!_

“Someone’s in trou- ow!” Sportacus stopped mid sentence, holding the offending blue plastic ball in his hand while rubbing his forehead with the other. Robbie looked like he wasn’t trying to laugh, cheeks blown out and face red. 

“S-sorry, Sportacus! G-go save whoever i-it is, I’ll be right here!” Robbie dissolved into giggles at the end, making Sportacus’ heart flutter at the sound. 

“A-alright, Robbie. I’ll be right back!” 

With clammy hands, Sportacus did his signature move before dashing off into the town’s limits. The adrenaline in his blood, the stretch of his muscles, and the feeling of the wind in his hair were all immensely calming. By the time he was even inside Lazytown the shakiness was gone, leaving him at his best. 

“ _Heeeellp!_ ” Trixie called, hanging from a tree branch. She was holding a soccer ball in one hand, the other tightly grasping a breaking tree limb. A few parents were crowded under her, trying to calm her down while a few went off to find a ladder. They wouldn’t be fast enough, however, as the branch gave a mighty crack and Trixie began to fall. She screamed, but before any of the parents could move to catch her, Sportacus dove through and caught her. 

“Trixie! Are you alright?” Trixie and the parents sighed in relief. Sportacus gently rubbed circles into her shoulders while he waited for an answer. 

“Yeah, yeah I’m good. Thanks for saving me, I was afraid for a second there. Usually you’re here a bit sooner, but that’s all right- you’re only human.” She smiled at him, a hug his reward for saving her. 

Sportacus winced at Trixie’s words, knowing he wasn’t human, which hurt because she didn’t know he wasn’t, and that he had worried her, but hugged back nonetheless. Stephanie ran up and embraced her best friend tightly, worry smothered over her features. They swayed while Sportacus calmed the dispersing parents. 

“Hey, Sportacus?” Stephanie asked, tightly holding Trixie’s hand. 

Sportacus looked over his shoulder, pleasantly surprised. “Hello, Stephanie! What’s up?”

Trixie and Stephanie exchanged a look, Trixie more uncertain than her pink friend. “Well, Sportacus, I was just wondering how come you were later than usual.” 

Sportacus sputtered, shocked by her question. He laughed nervously, shifting from foot to foot in an attempt to hide his fidgety energy. He opened his mouth to give a reply, failed, tried again, and failed that time too, before he took a deep breath and finally spoke clearly. 

“Robbie and I are hanging out, is all. I know we do it a lot, probably too much, given my job, but we were just having fun. I would have been here sooner but we’re on the complete other side of town.” 

Immediately, Stephanie and Trixie glanced at one another. Gone was their concern for his lateness, replaced with their mischievous sides. They wondered what the implementations of ‘ _Robbie and I are hanging out_ ’ meant, seeing as the two had a painfully awkward relationship. 

“Oh, well that’s okay, Sportacus. Why don’t you go back to him then? Everything’s alright down here, after all!” Trixie stated, a little more theatric than usual. Sportacus blinked at the two of them before agreeing, bidding them goodbye before he flipped off.

“What was that for?” Stephanie murmured. She’d wanted to ask him another question, but Trixie had beat her to it. 

“What that was _for_ , was so we can _follow_ him. We all know they love each other, Pinky, it’s pretty obvious. Maybe if we spy on them, we can get a better idea of how deep they are. That way, we can set them up!” Trixie looked proud of herself for thinking it up on the spot, and Stephanie had to agree- it was a pretty great idea, even if it was vague. 

“Alright, alright. Come on, before he’s out of sight!” Stephanie took off, hand still holding Trixie’s, ultimately tugging her along as they tried not to giggle too excitedly. 

**\------**

“I’m back!” Sportacus shouted as he ran up the hill. Robbie peaked out from behind the tree, nonchalantly eating a cookie. 

“Oh, good. I was starting to think you’d abandoned me.” Robbie said, half teasing. 

Sportacus made a strangled sound that almost sounded like a chuckle, “No, Robbie, I’d never abandon you! Especially not when we’re playing catch together.” 

“You left earlier.” Robbie pointed out.

Sportacus huffed, “That’s an exception, I had to save Trixie!”

Out of nowhere, Sportacus’ ear twitched as he thought the heard someone moving in the distance. Shrugging it off, he told himself it was a bird in the tree and focused on Robbie. 

“What, what’d she do?” Robbie sounded strangely worried. 

“She was retrieving a ball from a tree and got stuck. A few parents were trying to get a ladder but they were too slow. I got there just in time; she’s okay.”

Robbie sighed and sagged against the tree base, visibly relieved. He shook his head, running a hand through his pompadour. “I swear, one of these days she’s going to get hurt badly. It’s great she’s active, well, for you, anyways, but I worry.” Sportacus could hear how hard it was for Robbie to admit such a private thought, but instead of pointing that out he agreed with Robbie’s statement. 

The elf’s ears twitched frustratedly under his cap again. Frowning, he tucking the hat behind his ears, letting them get some air from the partially stifling fabric. To him, it sounded like something very big up in the tree, but that didn’t make much sense, unless a few squirrels or birds were fighting. Robbie raised an eyebrow, wondering if the felt was bothering Sportacus’ sensitive ears. Sportacus waved him off, instead changing conversation topics.

“Your brother still leaves me flirty messages. I swear, ever since you confronted him, he’s gotten worse!”

“Are you serious?! Eugh, he’s such an asshole- like honestly!” Robbie spat, making Sportacus laugh. “No, seriously, what’d he put on your message board _this_ time?”

“Well, Glanni put, and I quote, ‘ _There are eight planets in this universe, but only seven after I destroy Uranus._ ’”

“Oh my god.” Robbie groaned, head in his hands. “I’m going to literally destroy my brother. Actually obliterate him. Jesus Christ, I thought he fucking hated you! Why is he flirting with you?!”

Sportacus was laughing, shaking his head as he looked at the messages on his message board via bracer. “I don’t know! I thought he hated me too! It’s not all bad-- I-I mean, _sometimes_ I get messages from Ella, too.” 

“Oh, so he’s letting her in on the deal. Did she leave you anything this morning?” He huffed, rolling his eyes. Idly, he wondered if Glanni was letting his daughter read his disgusting messages every morning, since Glanni was the type to snicker and share his pranks with those he loved. 

“Uhhhh, yeah, actually. She said, ‘ _Hello, Sportacus! Sorry again about Dad, he’s being weird. Tell Uncle Robbie I said hi, and that he should totally finish that dress for my performance next month._ ’....Ella said hi and thinks you should finish her dance dress.” 

Robbie was silent, staring Sportacus dead in the eyes. Suddenly, he busted out laughing, eyes tearing up from how hard the snickers erupted out of him. “Sometimes, I hate you, I really do. Come on, Sport! You can’t remind me after you’ve read it to me!” 

“But I was told to tell you that! I had to do it as soon as I remembered!” 

“Oh my god, you’re terrible at this.” Robbie murmured, amusement laced in his tone. 

Sportacus chortled, about to retort using the best of his wits, when he caught a flash of _pink_ from the tree. Now, wasn’t _that_ unusual. The laughter died from his throat, gaze occasionally shooting up into the branches while his ears strained to hear something. Just _barely_ , but loud enough, Sportacus could hear hushed whisperings. Now that was quite unusual, especially for a tree.

“Hey, is something wrong?” Robbie asked, still giggling from the gut busting laugh he’d just had. Sportacus chuckled softly with the remnants of the moment and shook his head. Too abruptly, he crawled across the blanket and situated himself tight up against Robbie. It took a few moments of pushing unneeded thoughts away before Sportacus leaned on Robbie’s shoulder and whispered into his ear. 

“Stop sputtering for a second. I think...that there are...two spying girls.”

“Wh-” Robbie stopped his retort, too red in the face to even speak properly, when a soft ‘ _craaack_ ’ emanated above them. The tree went deadly silent, far more silent than any tree either male had ever heard. It didn’t take elf ears to hear the soft scratching of someone retreating and two pairs of sneakers scratching against tree bark on the way down. Deftly, Sportacus heard the thuds of feet against solid ground. Robbie turned to look at him, only then truly realizing they were being spied on. 

When nothing else was heard, Robbie broke into a grin. Still hushed, he purred, “Well, that was unexpected. Should we give them a show; something to gossip with?”

Sportacus laughed hesitantly, still leaned too heavily on Robbie’s shoulder. “I don’t think so. If anything, they might have gotten what they came for. Let’s just let them escape for right now, they haven’t caused any harm.”

“ _Yet._ ” Robbie grunted, pointedly looking towards the base of the hill where, if he squinted closely enough, he could see bits of pink and red sneaking away in the grass. 

Sportacus hummed, watching the girls slink away too. He looked back up towards Robbie, so close to kiss….But Robbie was a _friend_ and probably didn’t feel the same way _back_. It wasn’t worth it to ruin his relationship with his best friend just for a kiss. The elf stood up a little too abruptly, starting the lanky man beside him.

“What was that for?”

“Sorry, nothing. Just wanted to get up; been sitting too long. Throw me the ball again, I need to keep my blood pumping.” Wordlessly Robbie complied. Sportacus wondered if Robbie knew when he exercised for fun and when he exercised to stop thinking. The two types were becoming more and more mixed, to the point where even Sportacus wasn’t sure if he was exercising for the purpose he thought he was doing it for. 

They threw a ball around for an hour before Robbie stopped, complaining that his shoulder joint had been worn down to the bone. Sportacus had laughed and flopped back onto the blanket, letting himself drown in cool gulps of ice water. Not much later, the kids stopped by, including Trixie and Stephanie. Robbie and Sportacus had shared glances, but said nothing when kickball was suggested. Even Robbie played a bit, though he only kicked the ball and refused to run the bases. 

Eventually, the kids ran back into town. Sportacus followed them, albeit a slower pace as to keep a conversation with Robbie. Inside the town borders, the teenage group of friends waited for Sportacus to walk them home, as he sometimes did. First, Sportacus had to drop Robbie off at his house. 

“I had fun today, with you. Playing catch, kickball….It’s not everyday I see you smile as bright as you did today.” Sportacus admitted with a blush. Robbie flushed too, shoulders hunched up to his ears defensively. 

“Y-yeah, well, I had a lot of fun too. Y-you- uh- you make me really happy, and feel included, so there’s that...U-um, thanks for taking me out for the picnic. I know I said I didn’t want to, but I really enjoyed myself.” One hand inched on the doorknob, legs jittering obnoxiously. Robbie felt the need to get inside and shove all these emotions into his darkest depths, especially after admitting some thoughts to his crush. 

“O-oh, you’re welcome, Robbie! I’m just glad you enjoyed yourself.” 

Suddenly, awkwardly, Sportacus surged forward. Robbie tensed in a hug, a hug that had only recently become customary between the two, and cautiously hugged back. Sportacus was stiff under his arms, reveling in the feeling of being hugged by Robbie Rotten. 

“O-okay, goodnight, Robbie!” Sportacus pushed off violently, waving a sharp goodbye before jogging back to the kids. Robbie ran into his house and slammed the door, sliding down it with a sigh of relief. 

The kids watched the entire display half-heartedly. They were more engaged in a conversation between all six of them. Huddled into an egg-shaped circle, they glanced at Sportacus and Robbie throughout their talk. 

“Are you sure?” Pixel asked Trixie, arms folded. 

“Sure as hell, Pixel. They know each other’s family, and Robbie was even _jealous_ that his brother was flirting with Sportacus!” 

“Robbie’s brother is flirting with Sportacus?” Ziggy wrinkled his nose, not sure if he liked the sound of that. 

“Apparently. And they got really close too, and had a soft conversation. You should have seen the way they snuggled up to each other, but even then they were tense and awkward. We looked back once and saw Sportacus stand himself up pretty roughly. It’s just… they’re a lot more...handsy than we originally thought.” Stephanie explained.

Stingy shook his head, frowning gently. “Well, _I_ could have told you that. I mean, they share the same chair together, half the time. They even play on Robbie’s phone together-”

“Wait, how do you know all this, Stingy?!” Trixie hissed. Stingy put up his hands in mock surrender, eyes wide. 

“Um, I stay at Robbie’s on Sundays, and I’m usually there for dinner every weekday, at this point? Sportacus comes over a lot. Like, _a lot_ a lot. If you thought their picnic was awkward, just wait until movie night.”

Pixel and Jives gave groans of displeasure, sharing looks of pained expressions.

“Like, I knew Robbie totally had a thing for Sportacus, but I wasn’t really sure if Sportacus had a thing for Robbie. After today, I can totally see they’re painfully in love. This is….awful, yo. We definitely need to fix this.” 

“But _how?_ ” Stephanie groaned, throwing her hands into the air. “Trixie and I almost got caught! If we try and set them up, Sportacus and Robbie will probably think something's up and we’ll _all_ be in trouble, then.” 

“Well, Pinky, we can’t just let this go on forever! It’s painful to watch! I bet it’s painful for them to experience, too.” Trixie grumbled, sending a weary glance Sportacus’ way. 

Ziggy sucked thoughtfully on his lollipop. With a _smack_ , he popped it from his mouth and raised his hand. When the group went quiet, he spoke. 

“I think that we should let them endure it for a bit longer. One of them is bound to get tired, right? Maybe they’ll ask for help, and _then_ we can set them up!”

Pixel snorted loudly, looking at his arm bracer as it ran calculations. “Ziggy, that has an extremely low percentage of happening. I doubt it would work, anyways.” The young boy deflated, too hurt to try and speak again. 

“Ugh, this is terrible. But we can figure this out later, Sportacus is coming back.” Jives muttered, nodding his head towards Sportacus, who was jogging back up to them with a thoughtful expression. 

Without a word, Sportacus walked them all back home before climbing into his airship. He did his exercises and his hygienics routine, thoughts about Robbie floating in his head. At 8:08 he fell into a fitful sleep of too much emotions, thoughts, and shifting. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well what do ya know, I'm not dead! I just had exams and recently started a new trimester, yuck! I dislike one of my classes immensely so there's that :)
> 
> But whats this?? Is that the _subplot???_ Why yes, it would be! Look at it go, practically running itself. I only have a few more chapters written, I haven't touched the newest chapter since, like, Thursday....But!!! One of the written chapters starts the shift and signals the beginning of the end! Are you guys ready? ;) 
> 
> It's almost midnight here, so all I have to say is thank you all so much for the comments and for reading! Have a wonderful day/night. 
> 
> P.S.- originally, this chapter was supposed to be longer, with another picnic but with the kids. In it, I was gonna reveal that I head cannon Stingy w/ small amounts elf and fae on his mother and father's side. I like the thought of Stingy w/ lil pointed ears, so c: But it didn't happen, probably just to remain hinted at for now.


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUESS WHO GOT THEIR COMPUTER BACK?? THATS RIGHT, ME BINCHES!! Now that I've got it back, please enjoy the chapter ;)

“I think this place will be good for her.” Glanni said, watching Ella dance with Stephanie. Robbie looked over from his casual conversation with Sportacus, watching the two girls as well. A warm smile broke onto his face. 

“At this rate, I think so too. Are you close to settling the price?” He asked, looking over at his brother. 

Glanni sighed and shook his head, shifting his weight from foot to foot dramatically with pops of his hips. In a flurry of frustration, he crossed his arms and stared disgustedly towards the suburbs. “ _No._ They want more money for the house than I can afford. We’re still negotiating, but we might not get the house we want. Can probably afford one of the smaller ones, though….” 

Sportacus smiled sympathetically, “Well, at least you’re still negotiating. I’m sure you’ll be able to get it. Besides, it might be easier for you to negotiate now that you’re staying with Robbie!” 

The three turned around to look at the last set of boxes that Glanni had unloaded from his car, still sitting casually on Robbie’s porch. Both Glæpurs were staying with Robbie, in hopes of making the moving process easier. It was risky, considering their lease on their old apartment had expired and they still hadn’t have a settled price for the house. But, as Robbie had murmured, that was okay, and he was glad to have them. 

Glanni turned back to Sportacus, ready to continue their conversation, when they noticed a large hullabaloo coming from the sports field, where most of the children were gathered. 

Andrea pointed at something in the sky, face scrunched up in confusion. “What’s that? It’s big and yellow and….kinda ugly.” 

“Yo, I think that’s a hot air balloon.” Jives said, squinting with a hand shielding his face. Pixel stood up and started typing things into his bracer, brows furrowed in concentration.

Finally, “According to my calculations….it is a hot air balloon!” 

“Why is there a hot air balloon coming to land in _Lazytown?_ ” Trixie asked, nosed wrinkled in confusion. 

Ella turned to look at her father, face paled. She recognized that balloon, had seen it quite a few times in her childhood. She distinctly remembered riding in it one time as well. Just as vibrantly as that memory, Ella knew just how badly her father hated the owner of the ugly yellow hot air balloon. 

Glanni looked back at his daughter with a tight look, his arms now crossed as an attempt to hide his sudden livid frustration. Robbie had a hand on his shoulder, look just as concerned as Ella. Sportacus stood dumbly, watching the air balloon land somewhere near Robbie’s old bunker.

“Boy toy….why the _fuck_ is your father here?” Glanni growled, sparing a look to the younger elf. 

“I….completely forgot. U-um….I know why he’s here- it’s just- I mean- I...can’t believe they’re _serious about that!_ ” Sportacus hissed, demeanor changed halfway through his sentence. Robbie and Glanni jumped in surprise, eyeing each other wearily.

It didn’t need to be said, but they all knew how this encounter would go down- _badly._

“Serious about what, Sportacus?” Robbie ventured. 

“My replacement! They want me to stop heroing to train my, at the moment, _unneeded_ replacement!” 

Glanni furrowed his eyebrows, a sneer across his features. “And what, your little elf Council just decided to send your father? What are they expecting it to do, soften the blow? If anything, if I were you, it’d just serve to make me angrier.” 

Sportacus was about to agree with him, although he stopped upon realizing something. 

“How do you know about the Council of Elves?” 

Glanni shrugged, trying to look nonchalant but failing miserably. “Eavesdropped on your dad a lot, snooped through his letters a few times. Your little Council is literally made up of assholes- they did the same thing to your dad, you know.” 

“Yeah, I know.” Sportacus huffed, remembering how angry his dad had been the first year of his hero training. 

Ella ran up to the three adults, Jives and Stephanie trailing behind her. She took her father’s hand before looking at them all seriously. “Why is he here? Isn’t he, I don’t know, retired?”

“He’s here to remind me- probably _force_ me- to get my replacement hero in order.” 

“Replacement hero? Sportacus, what’s that?” Stephanie asked, worry etched into her voice. 

“It’s….who will take after me, once I retire.” 

“You’re retiring?!” Jives and Stephanie gasped. 

Sportacus shook his head roughly, an uncharacteristic frown stamped across his features. “Not if I can help it.” When Stephanie tried to ask him another question, Sportacus raised his hand to stop her. “Can you go take the little kids to the other side of the sports field? This may not be very pretty, and I don’t want any of you kids caught up in it. Teach them Bing Bang or something, just keep their attention on you. Can you do that for me?” 

Stephanie hesitated, mouth open and floundering to start a clear sentence. Eventually, she gave up and weakly nodded, “Yeah, I can do it. Come on Jives, let’s go take them over by the soccer goals, there’ll be more room for dancing over there." 

“You go with them. Don’t worry about us, just make some friends and try to have fun.” Glanni whispered to Ella, squeezing her hand before pressing a wet kiss to her crown. He shooed her off, watching her walk away for a moment before turning his attention to the ‘new’ elf currently flipping their way. 

“Here he comes… ” Robbie grumbled. 

Not even a moment later, before them, there he was. The elf himself, Íþróttaálfurinn, stood proudly with his hands on his hips. Instead of his signature smile that Sportacus always remembered was a frown, directed at the fae man standing behind Robbie. 

“Glanni Glæpur…”

“Oh, don’t you Glanni Glæpur me!” Glanni sneered, trying and failing to lean forward past Robbie’s shoulder.

“What are you doing in Lazytown? Honestly, I’d expect you to be in jail by now-”

“Psh! I’m paying my time! I served about five years and I’ve worked off almost all of my offenses. I’m doing more community service than you’d think- I only have two more offenses to work off, and those will take me about two and a half years if I keep going to GreedyTown. Before you know it, I’ll be as clean as a freshly bathed babe!” 

Íþróttaálfurinn was about to retort back, eyes narrowed dangerously, when Sportacus stepped in. His elf ears twitched visibly under his hat, signalling his annoyance. “If I’m correct, your business here today concerns _me_ , not _him_.” 

Íþróttaálfurinn shot Glanni one last very pointed look before he nodded, only then fixing his son with a formal gaze. “You’re right, I am here to talk to you. Before I even start, however, are you going to yield or are we going to do this the hard way?”

“I refuse to train my replacement.” Sportacus stated. He crossed his arms and stood in front of his fae friends, determined not to lose this fight. His father sighed, his hat jiggling with the motion of his shaking head. Íþróttaálfurinn reached behind himself and pulled out a letter in a bright yellow envelope. The offending object had Sportacus gasping, threatened that his dad just pulled out a _warning letter_ on him. 

“Will you take the orders of the yellow letter, or do I need to award you with a red one? God forbid you make me give you a black one.” 

Sportacus didn’t move to take it, instead he fixed his father with an offended glare and raised his chin high. “And what are the orders of the yellow card, compared to the red?” 

“Well, if you must know, son-”

“If you’re here on _business_ , then you’re not here as a father.” His voice wobbled, as though it pained him to speak the words. 

Íþróttaálfurinn winced and sighed heavily at his son’s tone, the jab hitting him hard. He let it slide, letting it remind him of his own days as a hero in the same position as Sportacus. He shook off the anger his son radiated at him and started again.

“The orders from the yellow card are to choose your replacement and report it anywhere from today to the end of May to the Council. Afterwards, once June begins, you’ll begin teaching your replacement at the hero school up North.” 

“And the red?”

“You’ll go back home and the Council of Elves will choose a suitable replacement to either continue on our hero line or begin his or her own heritage of heroes after you’re done training him or her.” 

A low growl escaped Sportacus. His father raised an eyebrow, causing Sportacus to turn around and pace, hands thrown into the air. He didn’t need to be told what would happen if he were to be given a black letter- he’d be forced back home, crystal taken, the Council in charge of his replacement, and only then would he get back his crystal, if the Council thought it right.

“I don’t _want_ to train a replacement! I’m fifty-three! I’m still perfectly capable of doing my duty!”

“Will you be in the next ten years? You’ll have a hard time, Sportacus, it’d be better to train one now.” 

“But I don’t _need_ to! Most heroes train their replacement in their _eighties!_ I’m perfectly fine! The only reason the Council wants me to train my replacement now is so I can retire early and they can try and rope me into becoming a member of their stupid council!”

Íþróttaálfurinn stood unmoved by his son’s angry outburst. He was sympathetic to him, yet he hated that they were making a scene. Neighbors were looking out their windows and the kids in the park were trying to blare their music over the argument. Hint: it wasn’t working very well. Not to mention, Robbi and Glanni looked rather uncomfortable, and there was now a police officer making his way onto the property. 

“Hello, men. I’m sorry to interrupt, but what seems to be going on over here? I’ve been getting complaints from the neighborhood about a disturbance.” He stated, tipping the brim of his hat at them both. 

“Officer Obtuse...It’s nothing, really. My….. _associate_ and I were just finishing a conversation. We’ll be out of everyone’s hair in a moment.” Sportacus said, smile strained. In a rather forced, last minute and reluctant decision, he reached forward and snatched the yellow letter with as much attitude as he could muster before standing besides Robbie and Glanni. Íþróttaálfurinn threw up his hands into the air and smiled brightly. 

“There! Problem solved! There shouldn’t be anymore arguing now, Officer.” 

Officer Obtuse looked to Sportacus for confirmation, who gave a tight nod. He hiked his belt up a little and nodded to the group with a smile. “Well, alright then. Have a nice day, the lot of you.” 

They all watched him leave before turning back to Íþróttaálfurinn. Sportacus looked ready to cry and shout all at once, the letter crumpling under his powerful hold on it. Robbie reached forward and laid a hand on his shoulder, Glanni mumbling something about ‘asshole elves’.

“You know Sport...I’m not just here on business. I haven’t seen you since last spring, so I’m also here visiting as your father. If you can stand the sight of me later this evening, then I’ll stop by the airship and we can catch up. I’m going to visit the Mayor, see how he’s been doing. Until then, take care, son.” 

With that, Íþróttaálfurinn flipped away towards town hall. Robbie took his hand off of Sportacus’ shoulder while Glanni stepped out from behind his younger brother. His arms were folded and he still seemed rather pissed. Just being in the very presence of his old arch nemesis was enough to set him off. 

“Maybe you should go up to your airship. That was...quite some bullshit to take in. Why not go and relax or work all that anger off?”

“That’s what I was planning on doing.” Sportacus huffed. He seemed to be coming down from his angry high, hands rubbing his temples with the realization he was just yelled at his father _and_ made a scene in public.

“Get yourself a relaxing drink or something- it’ll help. Don’t worry about the kids, we got them.” Glanni grunted. The music in the park had shut off, leaving the youngsters to happily practice Bing Bang while the older kids looked over to the trio with worry. 

Sportacus looked at them, gave a tight lipped smile, and a thumbs up. His smile fell when he turned his gaze back to the brothers. With barely any fight or voice left in him, he excused himself. Glanni and Robbie watched him hold tight to the ascending ladder, too tuckered out to even climb it himself. They exchanged looks before greeting the kids, pretending to be amazed by their newfound _atrocious_ dancing skills. 

**\------**

Sportacus had just finished a round of intense push-ups and was drinking water to help refresh himself when the airship spoke. 

“Sportacus, your father is requesting to come up and visit. Should I send down the ladder?” 

A sigh. Sportacus rubbed his one still-throbbing temple, unsure whether or not that’d be a good idea. Although, his father had said he wasn’t in Lazytown _just_ for business...and he did miss his father and his hugs…

“Alright, fine! Ship, send down the ladder, please.”

“Will do, Sportacus.” 

He listened to the ship’s innerworkings, hearing the ticks of the ladder being lowered. An ugly grinding noise signaled that it had been lowered all the way, leaving Sportacus to grimace. He set down his water and put away the soccer ball he’d been kicking around a few hours beforehand. 

The floor extended down for but less than a minute. When it came back up, Íþróttaálfurinn stood languidly. He gave Sportacus a smile and walked over, enveloping his son in a tight embrace. Compared to his attitude in the afternoon, Sportacus melted into his father’s arms. He really had missed those hugs. 

“Sportacus….” Íþróttaálfurinn rumbled. He nuzzled the top of his son’s head before stepping away, turning his face at all angles to get a look at him. “Look at you, so strong and proud! You look so healthy, and happy.” 

‘Yeah well….I’ve been trying hard recently, and it’s been paying off, so…”

“Good, very good, my son!” Íþró laughed, clapping Sportacus on the back. His eyes twinkled happily before he leaned against the foodbar with a grunt. 

“Eugh, I’m only eighty-eight but I feel like I’m ninety-five. I swear, I’ll be needing a cane like your Amma soon.” 

“Amma didn’t get her cane until she was one hundred. You should be good for a while still.” Sportacus pointed out. Íþróttaálfurinn chuckled softly, shaking his head before pushing off of the food bar with yet another grunt. He turned towards his son with a hint of a smile, arms crossed. 

“Tell your Pabbi how you’ve been, Sportacus. It’s been forever since we’ve actually talked face to face, and I’d like to know how you’ve been.” 

Sportacus smirked gently, knowing his father’s true words. He hadn’t spoken face to face with any of his relatives in the longest while- a conversation was beyond overdue. 

“Well, I’ve been okay. Happy, healthy...I’ve been a little dreamy lately? Just thinking a lot.”

“And your social life?” Íþró asked. “The last time I truly talked to you, you’d said that there weren’t a lot of people your age to socialize with, and you felt even more isolated than normal. Not to mention you had a crush on some Pablo guy- how’d that turn out?”

Sportacus blushed bright red at his father’s jolly laugh, his slightly swaying movement freezing to a dead stop. For a moment he sputtered before a firm shake of his head, goggles rattling slightly on his hat. 

“N-No! I don’t feel like that about Pablo- at least, not anymore. The last time I felt anything like that towards him was...almost three years ago. He’s one of my best friends now, sort of like a brother to me.” 

“ _Friends?_ Why, look at you! More than one? Lazytown sure has grown, then!” 

Sportacus avoided eye contact and nodded stiffly, lips pressed tightly together in the awkward silence. “It sure has, Pabbi…”

“Who’re the other friends?”

“Well, I mean...I’m friends with the kids- they’re teenagers now, such awfully bright children. The new, young children are such delights, too. Their parents are pretty nice, but only acquaintances. Nothing past formal with the Mayor and Ms. Busybody. I’m best friends with Robbie, and I’m pretty good friends with Glanni, Bobby, Tobby, and Flobby-”

“Wait, the Rotten kids? Glanni, Robin, Robert, Tobias, and Florence?” 

“Well, yeah. I mean, I know Glanni changed his last name, but Robbie and I have been getting along extremely well lately-”

Íþróttaálfurinn held up his hands, effectively getting his son to gradually stop talking. Smugly, he asked, “Extremely well?”

Sportacus’ face heated up faster than it should have. Why was everyone so easy to pick up his crush? Was he _that_ obvious? God, he sure hoped not. 

“Wh- how- okay, yes! I have a giant crush on my _best friend!_ Is it that obvious? Everyone is picking up on it, even the kids! Am I doing something wrong here??”

Íþróttaálfurinn bellowed with laughter, his arm coming up to clap his son over his shoulder. He gave Sportacus a blinding smile, his fluffy mustache almost bent with the shape of his mouth. Sportacus felt himself being pulled into a hug, the second one that day, and felt concerned with the increased contact from his father (seeing as elves weren’t the touchiest people unless needed to be). 

“Haha! Son, I was just joking with you, but if that’s how it is, then good on you! Oh now, don’t cry, son, I’m not making fun of you!” Íþró scoffed, inwardly cringing at the accidental hardness to his voice. Sportacus was close to tears from the emotional rollercoaster of the day and, for the first time, verbally admitting his giant crush on Robbie, to his father no less. 

“N-No, I know...It’s just been… and emotional day, is all.” Sportacus sniffed and blinked his eyes rapidly, determined not to cry. His father backed off, hands still extended around his son as though to comfort him at any second. 

“I’m glad son, that you like him. A little concerned, since Glanni is his older brother, but if Glanni has been shaping up then I bet Robbie is doing wonderfully- he was always the smart one.” A pause, “You know..your Amma would never never shut up about him. Loved the gifts he made her, spent most days under a tree reading, drawing, or studying with him. Why, if you called her right now and told her you were best friends with, _and_ had a crush on Robin Rotten, then you’d get an eyeful of smiling and an earful of laughter!” 

The thought of his giddy grandmother brought a smile to Sportacus’ face. He looked down and mumbled for a soccer ball, easily catching it and dribbling it between his feet in gentle thought. Íþró watched fondly, leaning on the exercise pole in contented thinking. 

“I’m sorry about the Council. They are assholes, you know.” That got a string of tense laughter from Sportacus, suddenly dribbling the ball faster. “I know you don’t want a replacement, but I’m glad you complied. It’s easier for all of us that way- but forget about them, the Council. You have until just before June, really.”

“Yeah, well I really hate them. A lot. It’s hard not to think about them right now.”

Sportacus rarely hated anybody. The closest he usually got to hatred was extreme dislike, not even that far most times. The Council had reason to garner his hate, however. 

“.....You know everything turn out alright, Sport-”

“But that’s the thing!” Sportacus stopped dribbling, fixing his father with an intense look of exasperation. “Amma was dying! And they refused to give us her last paycheck! It could have paid for all her medical expenses and the medicine she needed, but _no_. She was ‘strictly’ on leave because she ‘got sick’. Dad! Amma almost died! It’s a miracle she even got better!” 

Íþró nodded silently, his lips pushed into a thin line. He knew very well how close his mother came to dying, and how hard they fought and failed to get the due money from the Council. Even after the events had long transpired, they had managed to get him to join their ranks. It still infuriated Sportacus to present day, it seemed. 

“I can’t believe you joined them too, after everything they did…” The younger elf both murmured and scoffed, dribbling the ball again. 

“I know. But when they aren’t being assholes, you know how good they are for the community.”

“That’s only like, thirty-three percent of the time, Pabbi.” Sportacus looked up, attitude written all over his features. He was looking for his father to try and fight him on this, but when no argument was given he shrugged and went back to the ball. 

After a long three days of flight, Íþró was too tired to fight. He still felt the sting from his son’s harsh words earlier in the day as well. Anything other than gleeful contentedness never suited Sportacus well, both in childhood and adulthood.

The older elf hefted up both hands and walked towards his son, who stilled the ball in order to pay attention. “Alright, no more talk about the Council of Dipshits. You have a replacement to think about later, people to say goodbye to. Right now, your good old Pabbi is here to visit and wants to see that bright smile he loves so much. Now, how about you pass me that ball and we’ll see who can score the most goals, huh?” 

The statement caused actual laughter from Sportacus, his blue eyes twinkling once more. Tension from hours of angry exercising and thought slipped away, revealing Sportacus’ jovial nature. The ship shot out a ball for Íþróttaálfurinn, who immediately put it to good use. The cabin delved into fatherly laughter and almost childlike giggles, Pabbi and son reunited once again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wowowowow yA'LL READY TO KICK IT INTO HIGH GEAR??? CUZ I SURE AM!!! This was torture waiting to upload, since I _had it done before my computer broke_. Hhhh it was additional torture waiting to upload this late (it's currently 1:39 AM as I type this- probably later by the time I finish coding the chapter).
> 
> I deleted the hiatus warning chapter, btw, if ya'll noticed. I appreciated the understanding comments that I received- it was a relief to see them. You see, my dad tricked me into thinking that I actually had to wait 2 weeks, but it was only about a week in reality :p They even gave me an extra battery and doubled my storage like DAMN THANKS TECH DUDES. 
> 
> Anyways, I'm a lil tired, thank you all for your comments and for taking the time to read this. I'm tired, glad to be back, and please enjoy your day/night. :)


	18. Chapter Seventeen

The stars were bright outside Robbie’s second floor window, soft moonlight flooding through the glass. An even layer of blue filtered in, leaving everything in it’s wake a blue-tinged hue, gently glowing. Robbie laid on his back, arms spread out, his head lolled to the side as he inspected Sportacus, who looked more blue than normal in the light. It was a good look, he decided. 

Together, the two men laid out on what was to be Glanni’s room. They were cleaning it and moving any boxes out into the first floor closet, which was really too big and had space that could be used. After a day’s work they’d stopped; Robbie laid out on the floor, Sportacus’ head resting on Robbie’s stomach. It was comfortable, Robbie concluded. 

Neither had spoken in a good hour. A wonderful hour of them laying there, listening to each other breathe, watching the moon get higher and higher in the sky. Robbie was getting impatient with the silence, however, and refused to squirm since Sportacus’ head was on his stomach. A distraction would be welcomed. 

“....Have you decided who you want?”

“I want yo-wait, what are we talking about?” Sportacus asked, head rolled back enough so Robbie could see his confused look. The elf studied his friend, panic lowly settled in his stomach, mouth parted in a soft frown. It took the two of them a moment, regarding each other’s beautiful face, to continue the conversation. 

“U-um, your replacement. Do you know who you want?”

Sportacus ‘oh’ed softly, head turned away from Robbie. He hoped his giant blush wasn’t showing, or at least obvious in the light. Moments later, he turned his head back and shrugged his shoulder’s against Robbie’s side. 

“I think Stephanie, probably. I mean, Pixel and Trixie would be good choices, but I’m not sure if Pixel is physically capable, and Trixie….is a bit _too_ much of a trouble maker.”

“What about Stingy? Ziggy? Jives?”

Sportacus sighed, a hand rubbing over his face tiredly. “Stingy would be a good choice, but I’m just not sure if he’s socially ready for it. He’s kind of an introvert, you know? Ziggy is too young, by two years. If I could consider him, then I would, trust me.” He paused for a moment, contemplating his words before continuing. “I did ask Jives. I wasn’t sure what to think and asked his opinion. He was flattered and honored, but admitted he wanted nothing to do with that. I can respect that- I had a feeling he wouldn’t want to anyways.” 

“So through the process of elimination…”

“Yeah. I’m choosing Stephanie, I think. I’ll have to tell her sooner or later. I’m sure she’ll be thrilled…” Sportacus tapered off, the tone of his voice petering out. A hint of a smile ghosted his features but was overshadowed by the look of complete and utter exhaustion that sunk into his face.

“Thrilled? She’ll be ecstatic! You know Stephanie- she looks up to you so much. I mean, after what happened to her parents...You’re her father figure, practically her everything.”

Sportacus’ only reaction was a half-hearted laugh, just a puff of breath. The just-barely-smile still hovered over his features, looking content save for the war zone that his eyes conveyed. Robbie watched him with concerned, furrowed brows before he gulped thickly and looked back at the too-blue ceiling.

“Besides, so many people will be proud of her. And you. They’ll miss her, and she’ll miss them, but you’ll only be gone what, a few years? She’ll be a hero and you’ll be back in no time!” 

Sportacus stopped thinking and paid attention to only half of what Robbie said. His lips parted as though he were going to say something, only paused just a moment in thought.

“Robbie…”

The former-villain stopped his rant, voice tapering off before he lolled his head and looked back at his crush, concerned. “What? What’s wrong?”

“Robbie….To become a hero, students undergo intense academics and rigorous athletics. There’s gymnastics, hiking, swimming- they have to learn CPR, medical studies, disorders, diseases and sicknesses, how to deal with physical and emotional wounds- a-and twice a year they are left in the woods to test their survival skills and- and-”

“Sportacus, breathe.”

“-- _and so much more!_ Robbie! I- Stephanie and I...we’ll be gone for….eight to ten years.”

_Eight to ten years._

“.....O-oh..” Robbie felt the weight of what'd been said fall onto him, sinking into his chest. An immovable fact sitting hard and cold inside his ribs, clenching around his heart in a pang of hurt. It was painful and, in that small moment, it was all Robbie knew. 

His hand reached out and fisted itself into the fabric of the elf’s jacket, desperately hanging onto him in a subtle, unspoken plea of “ _Don’t leave me_.” Only a moment later, he felt Sportacus’ hand clenching Robbie’s own sweater. It was reassuring, but somehow it made the dread only cement itself into Robbie’s stomach. 

“.....You have until June, right?” Robbie’s voice was hoarse, mouth cotton dry already. Sportacus barely heard his whisper but nodded, blue eyes lacking their luster as he stared at the dark walls of the room. 

“Yeah. Until then.” 

Robbie sucked in a deep breath. The defeated finality of Sportacus’ voice told him just how tired he was. A shudder ran down his spine, leaving Robbie to shake under Sportacus’ head. They were still clutching one another, the soft threads of Sportacus’ blue jacket comforting in his grip. 

The fact that Sportacus would be gone for a decade had sunk in enough that Robbie already wanted it gone, wanted the knowledge and the hurt away from him. Sadly, there was nothing that he could do about it. The knowledge was planted into his head, Sportacus’ and Stephanie’s fate decided the moment Sportacus had taken the letter from his father’s hand. Robbie grasped Sportacus tighter and forced down a choked breath. No need for crying, not now. 

“...Heh, I just realized something, Sport.” Robbie spoke after a long moment of frantic thinking. Sportacus tiredly looked back up at him, an eyebrow raised. He watched Robbie stare exhaustedly at the ceiling as he whispered, “This whole town is going to go under once you’re gone.”

“What do you mean?” Sportacus whispered back.

“Nobody to save them, nobody to encourage healthy exercise and ‘sportscandy’. This town...relies on you too much. They’re not going to make it.” 

Robbie felt Sportacus heave a loud sigh under his hand, now Sportacus’ turn to stare at the ceiling. “Yeah, I know. It’s probably my fault- not encouraging more independence between them all. They have the police station now, but it’ll be up to themselves to stay out of trouble and to be healthy.”

A snort escaped Robbie before he could think to stop it. “Police station? Officer Obtuse and two other dumbasses I’ve never seen around town who are shoved into the same office as the Mayor? Such a great police station.” 

“At least we finally have one.” Sportacus huffed back. Robbie grunted, not quite on board with him. Three police officers didn’t quite make them a ‘station’, but it was true that they at least had a small force in town to deal with any disturbances. 

“....The kids will miss you.” 

“I know.” Sportacus swallowed dryly, feeling his scratchy throat against his warm saliva. “At least they have you.” 

_At least they have you._

Robbie choked a little, eyes prickling and hand clenching Sportacus’ jacket even tighter. Yes, because five children needed a former villain to guide them through the ups and downs of life. What a wonderful fucking idea. At least, the very least, when he failed them, or they failed to make it in the harsh reality of the world, they’d have him. The thought was laughable, that they’d have him, _Robbie Rotten_ , life’s number one fuck up to help them. 

Too weighed down by the thoughts in his head, Robbie simply watched a stray piece of dust float through the moonlight. He pulled the mask resting on his neck closer to his chin in an attempt to not breathe in the particle. 

“....Robbie?”

“I’m here.” His voice was thick yet hoarse, obviously trying not to cry. Sportacus looked up at him and found himself about to cry too. He shifted up, still holding onto Robbie’s sweater, and laid his head under his crush’s chin. Robbie’s heart beat jumped under his ear, running fast before settling out. An askew arm wrapped around Sportacus’ midsection and he smiled, tired and dopey. He nuzzled into the familiar smell of Robbie; coffee, fabrics, and hint of either vanilla or chocolate. 

“Sportacus?”

“I’m still awake.” Not for much longer, but Sportacus valiantly tried to keep his eyes open. Despite the weariness of the day beating down on his mind, Robbie was still awake as well. It would be rude to fall asleep on him. 

There was a moment of silence, broken only by Sportacus’ gasp as Robbie knocked off his hat and sifted his hand through his curls. He blushed and purred, lulled by the slight scratches to his scalp and the soothing beating of Robbie’s heart. 

“Go to sleep, Sport.” 

“...Okay, Robbie. Goodnight.” Sportacus yawned and snuggled into his best friend. It was too easy to think of him as something more, especially falling asleep in his arms like so. Robbie was warm, soothing, and everything Sportacus needed to be asleep within moments. 

In the small, dusty room with too many boxes still lying around, Robbie listened to his crush’s snores. It filled the room and tugged at his own lids. Even with the dust falling down on them, no blankets or pillows to cushion the hard flooring, Robbie tightened his hold on Sportacus and fell asleep. 

**\------**

Robbie watched Sportacus leave the next morning wordlessly. Sportacus woke up a little sore, but not as bad as Robbie, who winced painfully when his back popped after he stood up. At the early time of 8:30 Sportacus left, leaving Robbie to wave goodbye before closing his door, slumping onto it not even seconds later. 

Eventually, Robbie shifted into a more comfortable position. He didn’t leave his place by the door, too tired to move to the couch not even fifteen feet away. With his back now against the cool wood, Robbie let his head hang, knees almost brushing his face. Due to sheer exhaustion, he fell asleep. Unfortunately, the position pained his back, causing Robbie to wake up. As he registered consciousness, the emotional pain in his chest returned. A wet, choked sob escaped him. 

For two hours, Robbie sat and cried. He cried and sobbed, his eyes puffy and sore while his head ached. All he could taste was the salt from his tears, his face cool with the feeling of the morning air on fresh tear tracks. A hand fisted itself into his rumpled, still greased pompadour, tugging at his slick locks as a particularly hard sob wracked his body. 

Neither Glanni or Ella woke up. They were sharing the small guest bedroom upstairs, just out of range to hear Robbie’s softened wailing. At about eleven o’clock, however, Robbie just barely heard his back door open. It occurred to him that the boys were visiting, probably there to pick up Ella for her dance practice while they ran errands in MayhemTown. The realization didn’t stop his crying, which alarmed the boys once they entered the livingroom. 

“Oh, hey Rob- Robbie, are you okay?” Tobby pushed past Bobby, who only just comprehended his brother was crying. Robbie felt his brother’s warm hand leaning his head back, fingers grazing his cheeks while inspecting his face.

“What happened?” Bobby asked, kneeling down besides his brothers. Flobby joined them, softly wrapping his arms around his older brother in an attempt to make him smile. It worked, hardly, but it worked. 

Voice hoarse, Robbie murmured, “It’s nothing, boys. Just...really emotional.” 

“Bullshit.” Bobby huffed. He had his hands on Robbie’s shoulders, feeling the cool from the door and the goosebumps across his arms. “You’re freezing. How long have you been sitting here?”

Robbie shrugged. “I don’t know. A while, I think.” The boys exchanged looks, not sure whether to believe him. In the end, they moved Robbie to the couch and covered him with a blanket. Flobby continued to hug his brother, even when Bobby and Tobby went to find their eldest sibling and niece. 

The feeling of Flobby’s hand rubbing comforting circles over his arm was nice while it lasted. The touch withdrew when Ella bounded down the stairs, feet pounding on the rickety boards before she stopped just in front of the two. 

“Uncle Robbie! Are you okay?!” She flopped down on the ground, her face against Robbie’s leg while she took his cold hands in her warm ones. “Uncle Bobby and Uncle Tobby said you were crying. Did something happen? Is someone hurt?” 

Robbie smiled down at his niece. He was comforted to hear that she was worried, but he was quickly getting tired of being asked if he was ‘okay’, because the obvious answer was _no, he was not okay._ He sighed heavily and set a hand on her head, gently rubbing the soft, black locks. 

“No, I’m not okay. No, nobody was hurt. Except me, but that’s internally. I..I’m not quite sure why you’re all making a fuss about this.” 

“It’s because we love you, dipshit.” Glanni huffed, finally joining the group. He rubbed a hand over his eyes and yawned, not quite used to being up yet. “What the fuck happened? Was it Boytoy? If it’s Boytoy then I’m going to throttle him.” 

“Boyto- l-leave Sportacus alone, Glanni.” Robbie sighed. His brother squinted his eyes and leaned forward, hands on his hips sassily.

“So it was Boytoy. What’d he do?” 

“Glanni, maybe we shouldn’t push him-”

“Nonono, Tobby, I think we should. We’re a family, and when someone hurts one of us, they hurt all of us. Knowing Goody Two Shoes, it was probably an accident, but I want to know what he did. Robbie? Care to enlighten us?” 

Cautiously, the group looked back to Robbie, who looked worse for wear. He sighed and hung his head. A hand went through his pompadour halfheartedly as a choked laugh escaped him.

“Ten years.”

“....Ten years?” Bobby asked. Robbie nodded. 

“Ten years. He’ll...he’ll be gone for ten years.” 

“Who will be gone for ten years?” Tobby furrowed his brows. “Are you talking about Sportacus and his whole replacement thing?”

“Yes! He...he’ll be gone for ten years, and to think that two years ago I would have been _so fucking happy_ to hear something like this. But- god damn it- he’s managed to worm his way into my life and- and I’ve come to depend on him so much!” Robbie felt his eyes prick and held down an awry sob. “I’m in love with him, so much...I won’t be able to live without him…” 

The family watched as Robbie was lost once more to his inner sadness. Ella watched him cry and she frowned softly, her hands squeezing her uncle’s in an attempt to comfort him. Glanni frowned heavily, eyes downcast as he thought. The boys made an attempt to gather around their elder brother and, too, tried to comfort him. It was hard for them to hear Robbie’s choked sobs and sniffles, the tears freely moving down his cheeks. They tried to wipe them away to no avail, seeing as Robbie only sobbed harder. 

“I don’t want to be here when he leaves...it’ll hurt to much.” Robbie choked out. They all nodded in understanding. 

“You can come and visit us for a little while.” Tobby whispered. Bobby and Flobby nodded, smiling fondly at him. “You can use our spare bedroom and relax with us for a few days.”

“....I don’t want to be _here_ , in Lazytown, if he isn’t here. It’ll just...serve as a reminder.” Robbie sniffed. 

“Then just move. Away, Outta town. Go somewhere peaceful, or maybe to a big city, where you’ll get a job and be too busy to stress about him.” 

“Glanni…” Robbie sighed. Glanni shrugged, hips popped dramatically. 

“I’m being serious. If you don’t want to be here when he’s not, then don’t. Move in with the boys, or maybe get an apartment in BusyCity or something. Move on with life, because by the time Stephanie’s a hero he probably will have too.” 

Robbie opened his mouth to reply but couldn’t. He could feel his throat tightening again, ready to cry. He closed his mouth feebly and felt his chin wobble with the attempt to not sniffle. Flobby hugged him tighter, which he leaned into it. 

When he could talk again, Robbie looked up at them weakly. “But what about the kids? I’m not a villain anymore- I don’t want to hurt them. They’re...at a very hard point in their lives, especially Stingy.” 

“Well,” Bobby hummed, “you could probably keep connections? Like, you could still let him come over to your place every weekend or so, that way you know he’s okay, and to some extension the other kids.” 

Robbie was quiet. They took it as he wasn’t quite on board with the idea yet. Perhaps the kids’ smiling faces would just remind him of his days as a villain, and how close they were to Sportacus, who was gone and- it took the fae a minute to realize he was tearing up again. 

“Come on now, Uncle Robbie…” Ella reached up and wiped away his tears. “I mean, it’ll hurt, but you’re strong! You can get through this.” 

Her optimism made him chuckle a bit, a sad smile tugging at his mouth. “Thank you, Ella...but I’m not so sure, this time.” 

“How about this,” Glanni said, “we lessen your connection to them. I had an acquaintance back in MayhemTown about half a decade ago. Was in a somewhat….similar situation, I guess. He was worried about people finding him, people he’d made connections with, so he sorta...destroyed.. their relationship?” He winced at his own words and waved a hand dismissively. “Anyways, I’m eighty percent sure it worked- I can’t remember. But maybe if you’re...a little rude, to the pipsqueaks, then they’ll be less likely to try and find you later. _Especially_ the adults. As for Stingy, you can probably keep him close- it’s obvious he needs you.” 

Flobby frowned as he heard this. Robbie seemed to be seriously considering the idea. Ella had her face scrunched up, not quite so accepting of the idea either. The youngest triplet snapped his fingers and got his family’s attention, hands a blur as he signed a question to them. 

From the reaction that the idea and question brought, it seemed as though the family was divided. In the end, it was Glanni, Bobby, and Robbie who were for the idea. The male adults had stood up and bickered amongst themselves at first, Ella standing beside them while Robbie huddled into his blankets. Tobby and Flobby watched, somewhat surprised, as Bobby joined Glanni on the couch besides Robbie. 

“Wh- Uncle Bobby!” Ella said. She felt a little betrayed, especially since her Uncle Bobby was usually the sympathetic, social butterfly. He shrugged and gave her a weak smile. 

“Hurt one of us, hurt all of us. All for one, one for all. If Robbie thinks this is what needs to be done then I guess it’s what needs to be done. Besides...he’s the smart one.” He tried to smile. Sadly, it was strained and it made Ella frown harder. 

“But they all love him so much! LazyTown isn’t like BusyCity, or MayhemTown. They value friendship and love over individual success or money. Just because he might act a little rude doesn’t mean they’ll just give up on the idea that he exists!” 

She had a point, even if they tried to deny it. Tobby looked down at Flobby, who glanced back up at him. They both seemed a little sad, but they moved and sat down in front of the couch. Ella felt herself stiffen up, realizing that it was now five against one. Adults against a child. 

“ _All for one and one for all._ ” Flobby signed. 

“Maybe they won’t just accept that he’s gone, but they’re all people, Ella. They have better things to do than chase a middle aged man around, questioning why he’s gone- friend or not. Don’t worry, little Rottenella. Everything will be okay.” Tobby pulled his neice down into his lap, who pliantly went and curled into a ball. 

She nodded against his chest, resigned and reluctantly acceptant to the plan. “....All for one, and one for all..” 

Robbie blew out a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding. Glanni clapped his back before he bent down and hefted his daughter into his own lap. They all comforted her, which brought a sneaky little smile to her face, even though it was small. 

Despite the deep seated pain that still radiated in his chest, Robbie was smiling. His family smiled in return, determined to help him through this obviously hard time. It was great to know that his family had his back, even if they were reluctant. He resolved to make it up to Ella later because a frown on her face never sat well with him. At the moment, she smiled softly at him, even if her eyes were glistening in the morning light. 

“Thank you, all of you… If I could, I’d probably cry again. Right now, though, I just want a giant tub of chocolate ice cream, pain relievers, and a nap.” He laughed through his sniffles with his family, who was quite sympathetic and in agreement with his suggestions. 

“Go back to bed. We’ll get Ella fed and dressed for dance practice, and Glanni’ll do the dishes and clean the house. Get some rest and feel better.” Tobby stood up, hand outstretched to help his sibling. Robbie held his blanket close and appreciated the help up. He bid them a good morning and another heartfelt thanks before he meandered up the old stairs and into his bedroom. He flopped onto his bed with a groan and curled up, asleep on top of his comforter within minutes. 

Undoubtedly, it was going to be a long couple of weeks. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! I decided to upload the chapter now, before I'm off spring break ( _ugh, school tomorrow_ ). I made some last minute additions the other day and edited them today, so don't be afraid let me know if anything is wrong. 
> 
> For once, I'm not typing and coding the chapter at an ungodly time of night, lmfao. I always forget what I want to say here, but today I remember most of it. First off, I got around (finally) to replying to your comments in the inbox- I loved all of them, so thank you all for your comments and feedback <3\. Second off, I think this is probably the second-most angsty chapter that's to happen, if my plotting so far is correct. If you got through this one okay, then good for you! One last hurdle to go over somewhere in the future. If not, then buckle up, it's gonna be a bit of a bumpy ride! 
> 
> Well, that's all for me tonight I believe, lovelies! Good night, thank you for any comments that are left, thank you for reading, and please have a wonderful day/night <3.


	19. Chapter Eighteen

“Dad, the doorbell rung.” Stingy said, looking up at Robbie over the brim of his glasses. He was doing homework and currently taking a lunch break, papers scattered on the table and a sandwich in hand. Very pointedly, he repeated himself when the doorbell rang again. 

Robbie, just as pointedly, was trying to ignore the doorbell. He wasn’t in the mood for too much social interaction that day, and ringing doorbells meant talking with somebody. When the bell went off a third time, Stingy rolled his eyes and went to answer it. Robbie cursed lowly and followed him, long legs beating his son to the door. “You don’t have to answer it. Just… sit down and finish eating. I’ll continue helping you with your homework after.” Stingy slowed down but raised an eyebrow. He looked out the window and paled slightly. 

“Why is Officer Obtuse outside…?”

Robbie cursed again and quickly swung open the door. He smiled a little too forcefully at the rather impatient looking police officer. The want to cringe at the sight of the man- three raspberry pies sliding off his front and back, leftovers of a smeared blueberry pie on his face, and a crisp apple pie sitting on his hat- was strong. 

“Why hello Officer Obtuse. Sorry for taking so long to answer, I was upstairs cleaning and barely heard the doorbell. What can I do for you today?” 

The police man heaved a sigh, head shaking before he stepped back and pointed to the, still running, contraption on Robbie’s front lawn. 

“May I ask what that is? And, if possible, why it is firing pies over the sports field? Everybody was forced to evacuate the area since there’s so much pie.”

Robbie leaned out the doorway and looked over at the Pie Slinger 3000 before he feigned surprise. “Wh- that’s on?? I thought it was off! See, my brother Glanni is moving in-”

“Yes, that’s what you told me the last three times I was here.” 

“Well, yes, and uh, you see, he brought this over. I told him that we didn’t have any room for it in the house, and he doesn't have any more room for it in the storage unit, so we set it out in the front lawn so we can take it out to the dump later.” A laugh escaped him while he rubbed the back of his neck, “I honestly didn’t think it was on- I don’t even know where all the pies came from. I’m so sorry about this, Officer Obtuse.” 

Obtuse heaved a heavy sigh and shook his head. He straightened up, and with a tired look, pulled out his ticket booklet. Robbie paled as he scribbled something down before he ripped the paper out and handed it to him. 

“You’re...giving me a ticket?”

“I don’t want to do this, Mr. Rotten, but this is the fourth time something in your, your brother, or your family’s possession has caused a disturbance in the neighborhood. A few people slipped and sprained themselves or broke a bone this time around. The Mayor was kind and asked me to pardon you for a while, but we agreed that we couldn’t let this one slide. I’m sorry, Mr. Rotten.” 

“N-no, it’s alright, Officer. You’re just doing your job.” Robbie murmured, looking down at the yellow slip in his hand with furrowed brows. 

Officer Obtuse tipped his hat to Robbie, lips pressed together regretfully. “Well, I’m still sorry. I’d advise to have the fine paid quickly, that way it’s off your conscience. Please, for the love of God, turn the machine off and have a nice day, Mr. Rotten.”

A nice, forced, farewell was on the tip of his tongue, but Robbie never got it past his lips. Instead, he stared solemnly at the paper in his hands, reading Officer Obtuse’s curly handwriting and how much his fine was. The more he read the more his lips formed a frown, soon sneering as he closed the door. 

Today was decidedly not a good day. The night before- no, scratch that- the last _two_ nights, Robbie had found his insomnia insistent. It had left him for a few weeks, leaving to him to be weary about how he woke up energized. But, as always, the insomnia had returned, and it returned _hard_. Not to mention, he hadn’t been too hungry recently, he was stressed, worried and exasperated over paperwork about selling the house to Glanni, still plagued with fantasies about Sportacus, still pained about the man leaving. Today, in particular, he wasn’t feeling to social, either. Stingy was over, which was fine because Stingy was a wonderful kid to have around, while the boys, Glanni, and Ella were gone. Getting a ticket and having a strained conversation with Officer Obtuse was almost enough to break him. 

“Dad? Are you okay?” Stingy asked, hopping off the couch from where he’d been watching, taking his father’s hand. Robbie shook, his hand curled around Stingy’s in an attempt to ground himself. He stared at the floor, an angry look plastered over his features while he tried not to cry. Stingy reached up and patted his upper back, trying to be comforting. 

“It’s alright, Dad. I can get the door from now on. You don’t have to help me with my homework either, I’m perfectly capable of doing it on my own. Maybe try and take a nap? I can be quiet, maybe listen to music with my headphones in.” 

The fact that Stingy had to try and comfort him weighed on Robbie’s conscience. He shook his head and stuffed the ticket in his pocket for later. He held Stingy’s hand and walked with him back to the kitchen. “No, don’t worry about me. I’ll be alright, Stingy. Just….finish your homework, alright? I’ll be in the livingroom.” 

“Please don’t try and work on your tailoring right now. You’re tired and you’ll be downright exhausted if you try and work. Take a nap? For me?” 

Robbie looked back over to the face of his pleading son, now seated turned around in his chair while he gave Robbie a concerned look. It made him sigh and nod, waving the teenager off wearily.

“Alright, alright. Don’t worry about me, I’ll just...try and nap.” 

Stingy nodded and turned back around. Robbie watched him pull out headphones and start on his homework from the couch. With a deep, almost painful sigh, he lead back into the fluffy couch pillows and curled up. He laid there, watching the light on the wall, listening to the clock tick, for a few moments. Only when he could feel the possibility of sleep did he then close his eyes. 

For the first time in two days, Robbie felt tired enough to slip away into dreamland. He smiled softly and rubbed is cheek against the soft, soft pillows. The silence was homey, not too quiet since the clock ticked, the outside world was only partially blocked by the walls, and Stingy’s moving pencil against papers. It was enough to calm him down so sleep could be claimed. 

Not even twenty minutes later, Robbie jolted back into reality from his half-asleep daze due to three strong knocks on his front door. He could hear Stingy pushing out of his chair, tip-toe running across the living room and swinging the front door open. Robbie groaned and rubbed his face against the pillows, feeling the delights of sleep moving farther and farther away from his reaches.

“Oh, hello Sportacus.” 

“Hi, Stingy! Is Robbie there?”

“Um...dad’s-”

“Awake.” Robbie growled. Stingy jumped with a squeak, his head whipped in Robbie’s direction. He moved aside when the fae got up and sauntered towards the door, looking cautiously between the two adults before him.

“Oh, hello Robbie! Were you...sleeping? I didn’t mean to wake you!” Sportacus greeted, cheeks flushed pink because 1) Robbie looked heavenly cute after waking up from his sleep, and 2) he was embarrassed about disturbing the other adult. 

“It’s...whatever.” Robbie opted to not mention his insomniac bout spanning the last two days. “What do you need, Sportanerd?” He went with instead. 

“O-oh! Well, I saw Officer Obtuse talking to you earlier today, and I wanted to see how you were doing, but I decided to wait until maybe you’d had some time to yourself. The townspeople and I have just been….worried about you, is all.” 

Robbie raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. He ushered the elf into his home and seated him at the couch. Stingy stopped him from getting him any refreshments, volunteering instead to get them both waters so they could have this obviously needed conversation. 

“So,” Robbie smacked his lips after a drink of his water, “ why are you all worried about me?” 

“Well...it’s just- I mean- you...haven’t been as social recently. I know you _aren’t_ a very social person, but you’ve been….ruder? Or maybe more distant recently? I-I don’t know, you’ve just been more tucked away than you have been the last six months and we’ve just been...worried.” Sportacus finished lamely, fiddling with his thumbs while hesitating to look at his best friend/crush. 

Robbie took a moment to visibly deflate. He let out an audible sigh while slouching into the couch cushions, head lolled back while he stared at the ceiling. To put it bluntly, he looked downright exhausted. 

“It’s… been a long few days, Sportacus. I’ve been stressed and tired. There’s a lot of paperwork about...the house, in general. Glanni and Ella moving in and…. Just a lot, Sport. I’ll be fine. Just don’t worry. I’m more distant when I’m stressed. I’m just distant in general.” Robbie shrugged, his face flushed with the fact he knew exactly why he had been distant recently. Sportacus stared at him silently before breaking into a small grin. 

“Alright, Robbie. Just remember to take care of yourself.”

Robbie snorted and waved his crush off. “Don’t- don’t try and lull me to your healthy ways!” It was a tease, obviously, but it didn’t fail to bring an even brighter smile to Sportacus’ face. 

“I’m not trying to lull you! Everybody needs to take care of themselves, silly.” 

Robbie rolled his eyes but smiled towards his crush. It was so easy to forget that he was secretly going to be moving away soon, and that he was trying to get everybody to dislike him so he’d have no ties to worry him. It was effortless to sink into the relationship he’d built with Sportacus and ignore the wall he’d been painfully building with them. Even if every time the elf smiled at him, and Robbie felt that hurtful pain of utter _sadness_ deep in his chest, he knew it was alright because, in the moment, everything was okay. 

Sportacus giggled, eyes crinkled so adorably, then sighed contently and stretched on Robbie’s extremely comfortable couch. A tiny ‘mmph!’ escaped him, causing him to blush, and Robbie by extension because that noise just _had_ to be illegal. The elf looked over at his fae friend and purred softly. 

“Well, I’m sorry that you’re stressed, but I’m happy to hear it isn’t anything worse. If your insomnia is bothering you, just send me a letter and I’ll spend the night with you, like we used to do a few months ago. But I think Stephanie is coming over for one of her last makeup appointments with you soon, so I’ll make my leave now. Feel better, Robbie.” 

Robbie watched as Sportacus stood up and stretched again. He sauntered over and leaned down to give Robbie a hug, who flustered and reciprocated the action a tad late. The lanky man barely had time to mutter a goodbye before Sportacus was gone and out the door. He frowned at the smirk Stingy gave him. 

“What?”

“Nothing. You two just need to sort some things out, I think.”

“Sort- you think?! Finish your homework! Stop worrying about me and my life!” 

Stingy snorted as he slipped out of his seat. “I already finished. I’m just going to put my stuff away and set my bag in your room before I go hang out with Trixie. Have fun with Stephanie.” 

Just as he said, Stingy gathered his items into his school bag before running up the stairs and depositing it on his father’s bed. Robbie heard more than saw Stingy put his shoes on and head out the door, voicing a goodbye before the door closed. Even though Stingy didn’t see it, Robbie waved goodbye and sunk back into the couch. His heart was pounding loudly in his ears, cheeks still flushed. Stephanie wouldn’t be over for another ten minutes, giving him time to prepare and relax before more, _ugh_ , social interaction. 

**\------**

“That should be good enough…” Robbie grumbled. He was inspecting Stephanie’s latest attempt at using eye shadow. She’d picked it up quickly, leaving their lesson to end early. The pink haired girl smiled at him, white teeth shining in the afternoon light. 

“Was it okay?”

“No, yeah, it was actually pretty good. Alright, go wash up and reapply anything you want, you know the drill. You know where the bathroom is?”

Stephanie nodded, hair bobbing with the movement. “Yup! Kinda used it every time we practice.” She teased. Robbie watched her stand up and bound past the kitchen to the small hallway where the bathroom could be found. 

When she returned, she set a bottle of pink nailpolish down on his coffee table and smirked. 

“Wh- oh, crap. That’s right.” Robbie grumbled. He remembered only then that Stephanie had made some delicious chocolate cupcakes last week just for him, and as a thank you he’d promised to paint her nails. A sigh escaped him as he picked up the paint and gestured for her to sit down, only the tiniest of smiles gracing the quirk of his lips. 

Silence reigned over them for a while. Stephanie watched fondly as Robbie delicately applied the first coat to her right hand, careful of where the brush fell. Much like Sportacus, she began to feel fidgety and rubbed her ankles together. In a fit of indecisiveness and slight exasperation, she threw caution to the wind and looked Robbie straight on. 

“Do you like Sportacus?”

“Gu- well, that’s quite the question to ask, Pinkie. Yes, I like Sportacus. He’s annoying but he’s a good friend.” Robbie swore Stephanie rolled her eyes at him, even if he didn’t see it. 

“No silly, I mean...do you _like_ like him?”

When the adult didn’t answer, she smirked knowingly. Robbie shifted his eyes up and frowned at her smug look. He didn’t like this conversation one bit.

“What is this, confession hour? Why are you asking me such weird questions?”

“Well, Robbie, you didn’t deny it.” 

He sputtered indignantly, causing her to laugh. In the end, Robbie didn’t try to correct her, instead trying to fix a mistake he made during his sputtering. Stephanie leaned back the slightest bit and sighed happily. 

“Well, since you like him, you should tell Sportacus. Take him out on a date or something.”

“Nope. I’m not going to confirm or deny your assumptions from my silence, but even if I did, people like me never get those sort of happy endings. It’d be a miracle if it did.” 

“What?” Stephanie asked. She squinted her eyes in soft judgement at him. “What are you talking about? You’re a good person!....Sometimes. I know you’ve been a little….off recently, but you’re still a very great person, Robbie. Besides! Miracles happen to everyone- just when you’re not expecting them.” 

Robbie frowned. He discarded her words almost immediately, only because he was so set in his self-deprecating ways. 

“Well, even if I did get a miracle, you and Sportadoof are leaving in two months anyways. Miracles never happen fast for me, kid. It’d _be_ a miracle if one happened in less than a week. Just...life doesn’t work that way for me.” 

“....But you still like him.” Stephanie couldn’t help but giggle at his growl of warning. 

“Just- give me your left hand!” Robbie ignored her full on laughter and began applying the first coat to her other nails. 

After that, they fell back into silence, although less amicable, but still relaxed between the two. Robbie could still feel his cheeks still burning from her initial question. Stupid, curious kids….

**\------**

Stephanie skipped out of Robbie’s house happily, her makeup bag in her purse along with the bright nail polish. She waved goodbye to Robbie and closed his door before darting off to the sports field. Pixel and Ziggy saw her race by and decided to follow, hoping to say hello and have a conversation. 

“Hello Stephanie!” Ziggy called, just a few short steps behind her. Stephanie stopped and spun on her heels, surprised but happy to see her two friends behind her. 

“Pixel, Ziggy! Hey guys, I was actually looking for you.” 

“How come?” Pixel asked.

Stephanie blushed slightly and pointed to his arm bracer, “I was going to ask if you could text the rest of the group and ask them to come here. I just had a conversation with Robbie, and I need to tell everyone about what I found out.” 

“Oh! Oh! What’d you find out, Stephanie?” Ziggy bounced, eyes wide in excitement. Stephanie giggled and shook her head, “Not yet Ziggy, I want to tell once everybody is here.” 

“I was going to ask why you didn’t send a message to the group chat, but then I remembered that Trixie kept changing everybody’s names, so they all deleted Messenger. Give me a minute and I’ll have a message sent to everybody.” Pixel gave Stephanie a thumbs up and proceeded to type rapidly into his bracer. Ziggy and Stephanie sat themselves down on a bench while they waited for the group to show up. 

It took everybody just shy of five minutes to show up, excluding Ella, who was gone with her father furniture shopping. In order to accommodate everybody, they seated themselves into a circle under the shade of a blooming tree. Stephanie started to speak after they’d all finished their side conversations, their attention wrapped around her little finger. 

“Alright so, you know how we’ve been having trouble trying to get Robbie and Sportacus together? Like, we weren’t sure if they even _liked_ each other? Well, I’ve solved at least one half of our problem!”

“One half of our problem? And what half would that be?” Trixie snorted. She hunched her back and squinted at her best friend, curious to what she found out and solved so quickly. 

“Well, I was having a conversation with Robbie, and guess what? He _loves_ Sportacus!” 

“ _What?!_ ” The group fell apart into cries of happiness, anger, and surprise. They’d speculated that at the very least Sportacus would be the one to confess first, not Robbie. 

“How’d you manage that? I’ve been asking dad questions about that for weeks now! He either ignores the question of changes the conversation topic on me.” Stingy huffed. 

“Well, you see, he was painting my nails,” Stephanie extended her hands to show off the glittery pink nails that Robbie had done to an almost professional-looking level, “and I was bored and fidgety so I asked him. He got all flustered and stuttery for a minute, but he didn’t correct me!” 

“Well, he didn’t _confirm_ you either…” Ziggy mumbled, worried about misinterpreting Robbie’s feelings.

“But he didn’t stop her from thinking that he did. Knowing Robbie, that’s probably the best confirmation we’re going to get.”

“I agree with Jives. Anyway, continue, Stephanie.” 

“Thanks, Stingy. Well, either way, I told him to ask Sportacus out. He said no, because it’d be a miracle if Sportacus even said yes or felt that way towards him. But he was all blushy and trying to act like he didn’t know what I was talking about. You guys should have seen him! He’s _definitely_ in love with Sportacus.” 

Jives sighed and shook his head. His soft brown waves settled only after he laid his chin in the cup of his palm, hands supporting his face as he sighed. “Well, it’s good that we know and aren’t just assuming anything about his side of the story. But we still don’t know how Sportacus feels. Besides, even as painful as it is to watch them, maybe them being in a relationship won’t be a….. Good thing.” 

Trixie straightened up and squinted at him, “What're you trying to say?” 

“I’m saying that maybe it isn’t good to mess with their relationship, especially since Sportacus and Stephanie,” he gestured to her frantically, “are leaving within two months. We might be rushing them, and in the end it might not even work out. What if we hurt their relationship more than help it?” 

“That’s what _I’ve_ been trying to say! I just didn’t know how to say it.” Ziggy gasped. He shifted his weight and nibbled on his lollipop anxiously, “I don’t want you disagree with you guys, since I think they like each other too! But...I think it’s bad to rush them, or to try and set them up, because we could hurt them. What if we’re wrong?” 

“Relax Ziggy,” Pixel leaned over and settled a hand on his knee, “I doubt we’re wrong about Sportacus loving Robbie, since he’s really bad at hiding that sort of stuff. I don’t think we’ll be hurting them if we go about this the right way.” 

Stephanie sighed heavily and fell onto her back, the clouds more appealing than the tension filled argument she was listening to at the moment. Trixie followed her, the two of them laying there while Jives and Pixel argued whether they were rushing them or not. Stephanie found the argument was starting to get on her nerves, and was grateful when Jives held up his hands and growled. 

“Alright, stop! Stop argueing with me! How about this, you guys. For the sake of both Ziggy and I, we’ll give Sportacus and Robbie another week. If they get together on their own, or if one of them comes to us for date ideas, then we’ll help them then. If a week passes with no change in their routine, then we’ll interfere. How’s that sound?”

Stingy smirked from besides Trixie, his shoulders hiked up to his ears in a shrug. “Honestly, it sounds perfectly fine. It gives us more time to come up with plans for how to set them up, if nothing happens.” 

“Yeah! We’re totally not rushing them, they’ve had since like, October to figure this love stuff out! What more could one week do, huh?” Trixie asked, excitedly sitting upright again. 

“Once one week is up, and if Jives and Ziggy are still unsure, then Ziggy and I can ask Sportacus how he feels about Robbie before we do anything. Sound alright?” Stephanie proposed. The group responses ranged from relieved thanks to cheers of yelled agreement. Stephanie couldn’t help but giggle and smile before thrusting her hand into the middle of their circle. 

“Alright team, one week, and if nothing happens then we put our plan into action. Who’s with me?” 

They all cheered and settled their hands on top of hers. On the count of three, they threw their hands up and screamed, “GO TEAM!” 

It was a good thing they ended their meeting then, as Sportacus came flipping over the wall. They played coy to Sportacus’ interest in their group chat and used a game of kickball to distract him. It didn’t need to be said that their new plan had planted pure, unadulterated determination in all of them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayoo! Another update for you pretties! The kids have a plan and Robbie....sort of confesses his crush. I had it done and the next chapter fully written but not edited, so I decided to upload it now. Besides, I might not write too much this week- I have some heavy testing this week and I'm feeling half dead already, so this'll be fun! 
> 
> You know, I've been thinking of touching up on this for _chapters_ , but I always forget. Anyways, in case anyone was confused, I wanted to explain the timeline for this fic! It goes as this: ~2 years after Stephanie arrives, Robbie's bunker catches on fire. ~1 and a half years later is Robbie's class reunion (at the very beginning of this fic omg it's been so long). Add seven months and we're up to date in the month of April! There are a few chapter way later on that are a few years after this, but those are still far off. Thought I'd clear this up now, in case anyone was wondering :) 
> 
> Well anyways, thanks for all your comments, and for taking the time to read this fic/chapter (I really appreciate it omg). Have a wonderful day/night <3


	20. Chapter Nineteen

The rains of April had finally started to kick in, leaving Lazytown under low hanging clouds and all day storms. It wasn’t so bad, especially once the clouds cleared it became nice warm days with refreshing breezes. On a day such like that, Robbie fussed around his kitchen only an hour before noon, going from corner to corner as he prepared food for a party. 

Upon request by Mr. and Mrs. Junkfood, Robbie rather reluctantly agreed to cook most of the dishes for the party they were hosting. The month of April was practically littered with young elementary schoolers’ birthdays, so many that there would have been at least two parties every Saturday and Sunday. To save everybody time and money, the kind couple decided to have a giant party for all the kids in celebration. Since Robbie was probably the greatest cook in town when Chef Pablo wasn’t around, they succeeded in having him make the food.

It was nice on their behalf for the children; it was stressful on Robbie’s, however. 

“Quit messing with the potatoes, they’re fine! Just get started on the salad, will you?” Glanni snapped. He was currently stirring a giant pot of mac and cheese noodles, annoyed with the mess his brother had become since he’d woken up this morning. 

“Alright, alright. Sportacus, could you hand me the cabbage from the fridge? Bottom left drawer.” 

“Sure thing, Robbie!” Sportacus chirped. 

He spun over and grabbed the vegetable before handing it to his crush, blushing softly when their hands momentarily touched. Robbie noticed but tried not to pay it much heed, instead taking a knife and frustratedly chopping the leaves he tore from the cabbage. 

Sportacus stood in the middle of the kitchen for but a moment- everyone was moving around, working on dish upon dish. It felt unnatural to just stand and fidget, so he decided to help Robbie. From the fridge he took tomatoes and carrots, proceeding then to cut them up and add them to the salad that Robbie’d started. 

Glanni shuffled behind him and Sportacus felt his giant pink wings skim across both his and Robbie’s shoulders, the appendages out for the first time in days so they could breathe. Both men leaned forward a little to accommodate Glanni, who moved away seconds later and returned to the stove. 

Sportacus couldn’t help but chuckle as he looked from Glanni’s back to Stingy, who was meticulously putting together a bowl of fruit helpfully. It was amusing to him that they were all trying to make room for Glanni’s wings, yet Stingy couldn’t see them due to a simple spell the fae had used. Sportacus shook his head with a smile and settled himself to working on cutting the tomatoes diligently before Robbie scolded him. 

After a good stressful two hours, everybody stopped preparing the food and went to get dressed and ready. They met back up within the hour, looking at the very least nice, if not a little fancy. Robbie simply wore black dress pants with a stylish striped purple long sleeve and a vest. Glanni wore tight fitting denim jeans with a soft white shirt, a leather jacket on as well. Sportacus showed back up in jeans and a blue button down, his crystal clipped on the chest pocket. In a backpack, he had his regular suit in case of trouble. Stingy reappeared in something close to his usual yellow garb, and Ella came downstairs wearing a purple loose-fitting dress. Together, they all struggled to shuffle the food into the back of a car to take across town. 

Since the Junkfoods lived across town on the outskirts, it was necessary to take the food there via car, which Robbie begrudgingly borrowed from Ziggy’s mom. She practically forced him to loan it after a few days of quiet bickering. Cars weren’t conventional in Lazytown, but they were more accepted since the town expanded with the suburbs. Mrs. Zweets probably wouldn’t let Robbie borrow her car after the exchange, seeing how hard Robbie fought her on it in the first place. For the time being, he was glad to use it. 

“Just set the cake _very carefully_ in the backseat- Stingy, are you ready to go?!” Robbie called into the almost empty house. 

Stingy ran in from the back hallway, a bag full of presents in hand. “Yeah, one moment, Dad! I just wanna put my laptop upstairs, I’ll be out in a minute!” 

“Well hurry up- here, give me the presents- we have to leave soon if we want to get the food there on time.” 

Stingy flashed Robbie a thumbs up before running back into the livingroom. Both his and his father’s laptops sat on the coffee table, opened and running from earlier in the morning. In a moment of courtesy, Stingy decided to close Robbie’s so it wouldn’t loose too much battery. His hand stalled as he caught sight of what Robbie’d been searching, however. 

On the bright screen, a very nice house was displayed. A sidebar showed multiple pictures of the interior and backyard of the house, all nicely taken and appealing to the eye. It was listed at a fairly reasonable price just outside LairTown. Stingy frowned at the six other tabs from the same website- presumably all showcasing other for-sale houses. A pang of worry gripped his heart, making him still as he continued to look at the screen. 

It was a _very_ nice house. 

“Stingy, what’s taking you so lo-”

“Why are you house hunting…? You’re not moving, are you?” 

Robbie stopped when Stingy looked at him with glossy brown eyes. He looked like he was trying not to cry, probably a million thoughts running in his head. It was hard for Robbie to breathe for a second, and he hoped that Stingy wasn’t thinking that he was leaving him (because even if he moved, he was _not_ going to leave Stingy out of his life). 

“...N-no, I’m not.” Robbie lied. Stingy frowned and looked back to the computer. Robbie leaned forward and closed it, pushing it away and helping his son up off the ground. “Don’t worry Stingy, I was just trying to help Glanni. He’s worried he won’t get the house after all- the boys and I are just trying to find nice houses elsewhere if Lazytown doesn’t work out.” 

Stingy frowned deeper still, but nodded and wiped at his eyes in an attempt to believe him. He dashed up the stairs, laptop in hand, to leave it in his dad’s bedroom. 

Grey eyes caught the sight of the now ugly bruise on Stingy’s wrist, hidden by multiple bracelets. Robbie was reminded of just how much Stingy had needed him last night when his father had tried to take his phone away and harshly grabbed his wrist. Stingy had ran and ended up having to be carried over by Sportacus, due to how badly he was crying. Robbie could have sworn there was a slap mark on his cheek last night, but that had all but faded. 

When Stingy returned, he wrapped an arm around him and guided his son to the car. They got in and started the short journey over to the Junkfoods, where the party was about to start. 

Ella and Stingy sat in the backseat with some of the food while Robbie and Glanni sat in the front seats. Sportacus happily sat on top of the slow moving car, almost like an excited dog, enjoying the breeze in his hair and the laughter that could be heard throughout the town. A few people laughed and waved, not at all disturbed by the sight of him exercising on top of the vehicle. 

Five minutes later, after easy conversation between Sportacus and the kids through the sunroof, Sportacus hopped off the car as Robbie pulled into the Junkfood’s long driveway. Robbie wasn’t even fully parked yet before Jives and Pixel bounded down the porch steps, instructed by Mr. and Mrs. Junkfood to help get the food inside the kitchen. Ella and Stingy hopped out to help, too. 

“Ah- be careful with that cake!” Robbie gasped, slamming the car door shut behind him as he watched Jives and Pixel immediately take the three tiered cake from the back trunk. 

“We got it dude, don’t worry.” Jives smiled, backing up the steps into his kitchen. Both he and Pixel maneuvered the cake into the middle of the table, which was soon surrounded by the rest of Robbie’s confectionary creations. The counter was reserved for lunch, lined with crock pots and salads from end to end. 

It took them a good ten minutes to get everything in and situated. By the time Robbie slammed the trunk closed he was exhausted, having gotten up extra early to start on his six cakes. Jives walked up and handed him a cheque, probably payment from his parents. 

“Cheque from my parents- they said thanks, by the way. Mom would have come out to give it to you, but she’s too busy hosting right now.” Jives shrugged casually, a laidback smirk tugging at his lips. 

“Ah, yeah, thanks.” Robbie read over the curly writing of Mrs. Junkfood and had to do a double take. He was being paid _far_ better than what they’d originally discussed- not that he was complaining, or anything. 

“Are you staying for the party?” 

“Uh- I don’t know yet. Ella and Stingy asked me to stay- I know for a fact that Glanni’s not- but I haven’t made up my mind yet. Why?” 

Jives shrugged again, far too casual for even him. “I dunno, was just curious. I know Sportacus is staying.” They both looked back to where the blue elf was giving children piggyback rides, their childish squeals annoying to Robbie’s sensitive ears. 

“Yeah, well...this is his kind of environment. Not really a place where I thrive, mind you.” Robbie huffed, giving Jives a slight stink eye. Jives looked past him again to Sportacus, an eyebrow raised. Robbie was having a hard time not looking, because _seriously,_ how did someone look so devilishly handsome playing with squealing trolls? 

“Well, whatever you decide to do, just know that you’re welcome to stay. My parents are hosting the party in the living room and backyard, and I’ll probably be hanging with Stingy or Pixel. See ya!” Jives grinned lopsidedly before sauntering off. 

A last minute thought snagged Robbie’s attention. It pertained to Stingy, Robbie’s own secret plans for moving, and a whole bottle of anxious emotions that wouldn’t leave him alone. Cursing himself slightly, Robbie turned around and caught the teenager by his hoodie.

“Wait, Jives- oh, sorry, um...listen….I’m not sure how to go about this but...is there anyway you can look out for Stingy, when you’re with him, or when he seems to be down or needs somebody? I try to be there but...I’m afraid I’m not going to be there for him at some point in time and I just...need to know that he’ll be in safe hands. You’re…” Robbie trailed off and waved his hands around, a deep blush covering his neck, “You’re level headed and very interpretive, the perfect anchor he needs if I’m not here. His...home isn’t always the best, if you catch what I’m saying. Can you just...look out for him for me?” 

It took a moment for Jives to comprehend what Robbie’d just rambled to him about. He blinked a few times and nodded, “Yeah, I get you. He calls you dad a lot, and he’s always at your place, so I kinda figured something was a little off with his home life. It’s a little...daunting, but yeah, I can look out for him. Stingy’s pretty cool- I like him. If something happens, I’ll let you know.” 

Just hearing Jives’ answer took an unknown weight off of Robbie’s shoulders. He smiled gratefully and clapped the teenager on the back, shaking his head in thought. “Thank you, so much. You don’t understand how much it means to me. Here- this is my number. If anything happens, just text or call me.” Robbie took out his phone and allowed Jives to copy down his number into his own Android. “Alright, that was all. If you see your parents tell them I said thanks. Now go run off, or whatever.” 

Jives laughed as Robbie adopted his rough demeanor once more, shooing him away while he grumpily stood by Mrs. Zweet’s car. When the front lawn was clear of the teenager, Robbie exhaled loudly and leaned against the trunk. 

Despite being a former villain, being rude and mean should be easy, but lately it was just forced and hard. Emotionally, it was exhausting him to the point where his insomnia was persistent, his own thoughts constantly jabbing at him. A few hours sleep would be wonderful, but…. A glance at Lazytown’s soon-to-be former hero pulled at Robbie’s heart strings. 

Eugh, fine. Maybe the nap could wait.

**\------**

If you asked Sportacus about his opinion on the party, he’d tell you that he thought it was wonderful and progressing beautifully so far. The kids were laughing and playing to their heart's content, the teenagers joining them on their childish adventures. The parents, for the most part, kept to the living room and patio, socializing with their friends and neighbors.

The best part, as Sportacus had discovered, was that Robbie had stayed. Despite his insomnia forcing him to stay up until two in the morning, and eventually wake up at five thirty, he’d grabbed some food and sat down in an isolated corner on the patio and watched the kids play. Sportacus, admittedly, hadn’t talked to him just yet, too busy tending to the screaming children. 

The first free moment he got, Sportacus ran up to Robbie and sat down besides him. He smiled brightly when his friend raised an eyebrow, chewing a piece of chocolate cake at the moment. 

“Hello Robbie!”

A swallow, “....Hello, Sportaflop. Do you...need something?”

“No, I just saw that you weren’t talking to anybody and decided to come and keep you company! Besides, I need a break from the children.” He laughed. 

Robbie grumbled something before he shoved another forkful of cake into his mouth. Sportacus giggled and leaned into the comfy padded chair he was seated in, a contented purr escaping him. A small flush crept up Robbie’s neck, causing him to almost choke once he realized it. 

“Whoa, Robbie! Are you okay?” Sportacus sat up quickly, arms extended to grab Robbie at any second. 

“I-I’m fine- stop fretting.” Robbie coughed once his breath was back. Only when he could breathe without a hitch in his throat did Sportacus relax, wearily eyeing his friend. 

Despite trying to be inconspicuous about his worry, Robbie picked up quite easily how concerned his crush was. For the first time all day he smiled, an attempt to put Sportacus’ worry at ease. Besides, it seemed that both Sportacus and his family were the only ones he could smile at effortlessly. Sportacus smiled back, almost entirely calmed down at the sight. 

“Sportacus! Robbie! Come play with us!” Ziggy called, excitedly bouncing a ball back and forth across the lawn with Stephanie. 

“No.” Robbie sneered. Sportacus laughed and stood up. He extended a hand to Robbie and grinned down at him. 

“Come on, for me? Please? With a sugarcoated cherry on top?” Robbie frowned. Why couldn’t he ever say no to this idiot? 

Ziggy cheered when he saw Sportacus pull Robbie up out of the patio chair. The child practically vibrated excitement; he’d always admired Robbie, and loved to hang out with him when Robbie was in the mood to. Stephanie smirked, noticing how Robbie reluctantly decided to play because _Sportacus_ wanted him to. 

“Haha, alright guys! What are we going to play?” Sportacus chirped, hands fisted at his hips. The little kids giggled at the superhero pose, quite amused by it. 

“Well, I thought we could all throw Trixie’s frisbee around.” Ziggy replied. Trixie voiced her agreement, waving her brand new frisbee proudly.

“ _No._ ” Robbie huffed, “My shoulders ache today, I won’t be able to throw or probably catch.” 

“....Weeeeellll, we could always kick Stingy’s soccer ball around-” 

“Nope. Bad knees and back, not to mention lung problems.” 

Stephanie pressed her lips into a thin line and prattled off a long list of activities they could do. Robbie shot down all of them, voice both exasperated and indignant. Sportacus and the kids watched the two of them go back and forth, all too nervous to try and step between them. 

“Fine! What do _you_ want to do then?” Stephanie glowered. 

“Now Stephanie, you nor Robbie have to argue about this-”

“Well I don’t know, Sportacus! He’s been kinda rude all week and I’m just tired of it. I’m sorry Robbie, but is there anything you’d like to play?” 

Said former villain scoffed. He refused to meet anyone’s gaze or admit that he was blushing. It was true he’d been rude recently, not that he _really_ wanted to (how had being rude suddenly become such a chore?), but it was also true that he didn’t really want to play any of the games due to his physical prowess. Why, the only game he’d played recently was… 

“How about Truth or Dare? No physical activity, makes people laugh, and bonding or whatever you kids like to do.” 

Sportacus practically preened at the suggestion. He bounced on the balls of his feet and gave Robbie a sound pat on the back. “That’s a great idea Robbie! Who wants to go first?” 

Trixie volunteered eagerly. After everybody sat down in a makeshift circle, she ended up daring Ziggy to do a handstand. He did one, for just under two seconds, and grinned when Sportacus told him how proud he was. Robbie rolled his eyes and pretended to ignore everyone until it was his turn. 

“Oh, is it my turn? Fine. Pixel, truth or dare?” 

“Truth!” Pixel chirped, looking up from his gamepad. Robbie sighed and leaned back onto his hands, the soft grass cool between his fingers. 

“What’s your greatest fear?” 

Pixel faltered for a moment, his bright smile turning sheepish. “W-well….that I won’t be able to talk to everybody some day, or that I’ll lose touch with them.” 

Robbie was half expecting some unoriginal reply, like heights or spiders. He was fairly surprised by the teenager’s answer. Before he could reassure Pixel and calm his anxiety, Trixie claimed her second turn. 

“Sportacus, truth or dare?!”

“Dare!” Sportacus laughed. Robbie cringed; he was far too excited for this.

Trixie snickered from her place besides Robbie. She leaned forward and eyed the town hero slyly. “I dare you to tell Robbie what you appreciate about him.” 

Both Robbie and Sportacus flushed a deep red, eyes wide as they studied each other. Robbie whipped his head in another direction while Sportacus stuttered. Ziggy, remembering back to not even four days ago during the kids meeting, found himself disgruntled with Trixie’s dare. Stephanie was much the same way, since they all agreed to give the two men a week before they’d try and intervene. The rest of their friend group reacted similarly, to which Trixie shrugged and contented herself to watching the show.

“Wh- I- um- well….S-something I appreciate about Robbie i-is….how open minded he is, and how he always makes me smile…” He spared a look to Robbie, his cheeks still flushed, before he looked down at the grass between his fidgeting fingers. “You’re so strong, even when you say you’re not...you care, and you’re such a good person, you’re so smart and good at creating things with your hands...your eyes are so beautiful, I love your hair, your white smile and your laugh…”

The train of appreciation continued on. At some point halfway through Sportacus had forgotten his surroundings and grew more hushed. The kids all looked on curiously, whispering excitedly to each other while the youngest grew restless. Robbie’s face was as red as an apple, but he was just as curious. Sportacus had gotten so silent that not even Robbie, who sat right beside him, could hear his vivid appreciation. 

Trixie leaned forward with a wicked grin, “Are you still going at it?” 

Sportacus snapped his head up with a choked squeak. He shook his head, a little late to responding and only then remembering Trixie’s question.

An awkward silence enveloped them then, and Sportacus fidgeted out of sheer embarrassment. Despite the flush on his face, Robbie reached out and patted and rubbed Sportacus’ back, sympathizing and soothing him. Sportacus suppressed a whimper and half curled in on himself and leaned into Robbie’s touch. 

The kids gave him another moment before carrying on. It was Ella’s turn, then Stingy’s, and so on. Throughout the rest of the game, Sportacus recovered alongside Robbie. They were both a little shaken from the incident and weren’t sure how to approach each other.

Sportacus couldn't help but shiver- he’s said some things that were kinda private, and had embarrassed himself. If he thought about it hard enough, it almost sounded like he had flirted with his best friend, in a convoluted way. Just that thought- that he could have accidentally teased with Robbie, potentially ruining their relationship- made cold, hard fear settle in his gut. It was bad enough he was leaving Robbie behind in two months, but now he had to worry about this too.

Robbie still felt the burn of a pink blush across his face and neck. It was hard to believe that Sportacus thought so wonderfully of him, so much in fact that even when he was too soft to be heard he _continued_ to speak of what he appreciated about Robbie. The former villain said nothing in his place besides his crush, silently thriving in the knowledge that Sportacus thought (at the very least) nicely of him.

The game was deemed concluded when it was time to eat cake and ice cream. The littlest children raced inside, giggling and bouncing throughout the Junkfood’s house. Stephanie and Ziggy stood up and brushed off the grass from their legs. Before they could start for the patio, Ziggy tugged on Stepanie’s dress and pointed. 

“Psst, Stephanie! Look at Robbie and Sportacus.” 

The two of them stood and watched as Sportacus helped Robbie to his feet. Neither seemed to have any idea how to properly handle any social interaction at the time, floundering just trying to attempt a conversation. Sportacus laughed awkwardly, face still an ungodly (cute) shade of red, and pointed at the house. The two men started the short journey inside, arms brushing in their slow, silent walk. 

“Should we ask if Sportacus likes Robbie?” Ziggy murmured. “I mean, we promised to wait a week, and we have three more days left of that week, but...would it just be better to ask _now?_ ” 

“I don’t know Ziggy. Maybe we can ask the other kids briefly before the party is over. Right now, lets just go inside and get some cake and ice cream. I think both Sportacus and Robbie have had quite the afternoon, and probably just need some time before we start to interrogate them.” 

Ziggy sighed his agreement. He dragged his feet while Stephanie trudged behind him. Trixie came up behind them, smiling brightly, but was stopped by Jives. He lightly punched her shoulder and hissed, “Not. Cool.” 

“Relax! Everything ended okay, and don’t worry, we’re not rushing them. We can just wait until the week has ended, it’s alright.” She waved her hands and smiled at Jives, who deadpanned and accepted Ziggy’s hand into his own. They all walked in and ate cake and ice cream, weary of their awkward dads in the corner. 

**\------**

By the time Sportacus climbed into his airship it was late evening, orange sunlight lighting up the white interior of his home. As soon as the floor closed behind him, he called out his bed and fall face first into the pillow. The white sheets were soft against his skin, the blankets beckoning to him. Sportacus took in a deep breath and tried to think. 

First order of business: Scream. 

Ah, that’s right. After completely embarrassing himself and practically confessing his love to Robbie, Sportacus had the urge to scream. His hands came up and gripped his pillow as his muffled shouts reverberated throughout the cabin. He screamed until his head ached and it was too difficult to breathe through the fabric. 

Second order of business: start bedtime exercise routine-

“You’ve got mail.” The AI hummed. Sportacus blinked and lifted his head from his pillow. A wall opened up and a fancily folded letter sailed through, landing elegantly on the floor. It took some willpower, but Sportacus rolled out of bed and scooped up the mail, already knowing its sender. 

_“Dear Sportacus 10,_

_Hello and good day or night to you. We humbly remind you that you have until May 31st to report your replacement hero to The High Council of Elves. Until then, best wishes to you, elven citizen. _

_Sincerely, The High Council of Elves.”_

Sportacus squinted at the standard letter before him. He didn’t recognize the handwriting in the underlined spaces, but it was obvious they were going to pester him with bullshit, homogenous, unoriginal letters. They were simply filled in blanks, no actual thought put into them at all. He scoffed and crushed the letter, getting a perfect shot as he threw the offending paper into the waste basket across the cabin. 

While it was true that he hadn’t yet reported his replacement to the Council, he had told Stephanie. Just short of a week ago he’d gathered her friends and family at town hall as he announced her place as Sportacus 11. Everyone had been only slightly surprised but extremely proud of her, hugging and celebrating late into the night. They’d danced and sang, told stories and reminisced about days back when The Great Robbie Rotten, Master of Disguise, had graced their town. Robbie had even partook in the story telling, recounting his side of many of their heroic tales. They’d drank sparkling water and ate a sportscandy cake that Robbie had (begrudgingly) made, still eating and drinking until they’d dispersed around midnight. It had been quite the night, and a good one at that. 

So, to recap, screw the Council, because Sportacus had already announced Stephanie as Sportacus 11. He didn’t need their fill in the blank bullshit to know that he had to report it before the end of May- meaning that he had time to procrastinate writing a passive aggressive letter. They were on the backburner, as far as Sportacus cared. The most important thing to him was setting Lazytown up to prosper in his absence and the transition of power from him to the police department. The people needed to trust someone, and it couldn’t always be him. The Council could bug him all they wanted, but they weren’t going to get a reply back fast. 

Second order of business: not exercising, because now Sportacus felt like dropping dead. He stripped of his hero clothes and dressed lightly for bed. Teeth brushed and morning outfit set out, he shimmied under the covers and angrily laid in bed. Minutes later, he fell into a dark, dreamless sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! Sorry this chapter is late, I took the SAT last week and I've been a discombobulated, disoriented, and stressed mess. I also apologize for this sorta uneventful chapter, but it sets something up for next chapter and others beyond that. I tried to edit and go through this quite a few times, but I'm not sure if I succeeded in making it more eventful and in taking anything unnecessary out. 
> 
> I don't have too much to say here (or I either can't remember any of it right now), so please have a wonderful day or night <3.


	21. Chapter Twenty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooo boy howdy alright just a few things!  
> 1) Wowow sorry for not getting this out sooner- I revised it three times and school has been super hectic recently.  
> 2) Apologies from me to you about the bland tone of the story. I thought it was effecting your ability to enjoy the story, so I've made some edits. There are two more emotional chapters before we get to the epilogues, so hopefully everything will go smoothly.  
> That should be it, so please enjoy the chapter :)

"You have mail.” The airship kindly stated, gently interrupting the conversation Sportacus was having. It made him laugh, especially once seeing Pablo’s slightly annoyed look. 

“Thank you, Ship. Hold on Pablo, let me just write my dad back.” 

“Ah, si, hermano. Take your time, I’ll still be here.” Pablo sighed as he turned back to making his lunch over the stove. 

On a lovely late April afternoon, Sportacus found company in skyping Pablo from his airship and writing letters to his father. So far no one had needed saving, leaving him to chat idly with his best friend undisturbed. They’d just finished a conversation about Sportacus leaving Lazytown for the North, and why and how he was so depressed about it. Sportacus felt marginally better after, even stating so to his father before signing the letter.

“There, sent. Now, what were you saying again?” Sportacus jumped up from his writing desk and leaned against the wall. On the giant slide-out TV, Pablo looked back over at him and grinned. 

“I was trying to ask you a question, actually. How is that Robbie Rotten fellow doing? Still feeling better, or?” 

Sportacus couldn’t help but sigh at the mention of his crush. Pablo raised an eyebrow and ignored the huff. Instead, he watched his sad friend shrug and frustratedly walking around the ship, hands in the air while a growl of pent up emotion slipped out.

“Healthwise? Good, but recently he’s been super distant and off, not to mention rude to almost everyone. I’m concerned, really, but I’m afraid to ask or do something wrong and get on his bad side as well!” 

This earned a snort from Pablo, who looked back at his computer camera and shook his head. “Sporto, compañero, I think you’re overreacting. From what I can tell, it sounds like _you_ can _never_ be on his bad side. If what I saw at the restaurant is still a thing now, then trust me when I say that you have nothing to worry about.” 

“I don’t even know what _thing_ you’re talking about!” Sportacus whined. He paced around the cabin even faster before grabbing a jump rope and skipping around. Pablo took a pan off his stove and moved out of screen, only to reappear as he moved his computer to the table. 

“Listen to me hermano, and listen closely. I am a chef, si? And let me tell you, I know passion and love when I see it.” The chef looked back to his elf friend to make sure he was paying attention, looking Sportacus straight in the eyes as he said, “It is extremely obvious that you both are loving and passionate about each other- you two have a thing for one another. Thus saying, you’ll never _truly_ be on his bad side.” 

Sportacus stood still for exactly five seconds before groaning loudly and jogging the length of his cabin in denial. “No, no there’s no way he feels the same way about me that I do to him- it’s just not possible, Pablo-”

“Yes it is!” Pablo laughed, giving his friend a bewildered look, “It’s called love, amigo! I think you just need to calm down and consider the possibility that he _does_ , or at least maybe, likes you too.” 

Sportacus stood still again, his mouth pressed in a firm line as he squinted at the chef. He seemed to vibrate with energy, the small rush of adrenaline coursing through him not helping at all. Pablo shrugged his shoulders at him and finished putting together his lunch.

“What makes you think that he doesn’t like you? Let’s start there.” 

A puff of laughter escaped Sportacus, who went down into push ups as he ranted. “Well first, I’m constantly exercising, and he hates excessive movement-”

“Has he ever stopped you from exercising under a reasonable situation?”

“Um….I mean, only when he has a migraine, or when he’s really tired. Otherwise, he just lets me do them.” 

“He likes you enough to know when you need to exercise and puts up with it. He probably watches you too, if we’re being honest. Well, next reason why he possibly doesn’t like you?” 

“I’m far too happy-”

Pablo held up a hand and quirked an eyebrow at his elven friend. “You are possibly one of the most emotional people I have ever met, Sportacus. Si, you have a big heart and are very chipper, but you are also passionate in other emotions. I see no reason for him to dislike you there.” 

The duo held eye contact for a second before Sportacus stood up and went into handstand pushups. Pablo let him as they conversed, noting how the exercise helped him think and calm down. 

“Another reason why he probably doesn’t love me is because sometimes I can be aggressive when I talk about sports candy or being healthy.” When Pablo didn’t interrupt or say anything Sportacus stood up and pointed at his TV screen. 

“Ha! See? I’m just too aggressive, and all I’ll do is push him away, if I haven’t already, and-” 

“Whoa, slow down a second amigo!” Pablo almost choked on his bite, swallowing while raising a hand to stop Sportacus and put down his sandwich. “Just because yes, you are slightly aggressive about being healthy, does not mean that he doesn’t love you. You don’t have to love _everything_ about a person to be in love with them.” 

“Well I know that, but I mean...what if it’s bad? What if it’s a turn off, or-”

Pablo rolled his eyes and brought his computer closer. “Just breathe for a second, Sporto. It’d benefit both you and me here, neither of us want you to have a heart attack right now.” He waited a moment, allowing Sportacus to even out his breathing, before he continued, “You okay? Si? Good. As I was saying, maybe he doesn’t like how aggressive you _can_ be, but that is only one aspect of you. Honestly, you’re only aggressive when you’re very concerned. Don’t sweat it, hermano. Next attribute?” 

“Well.. maybe because I’m leaving him?” Sportacus frowned and looked around his cabin with furrowed brows, a hand on the back of his neck in half thought. “We depend so much on each other, and I decided to be a good hero and play along with The Council. Now...I’m leaving him, even though he needs me just as much as I need him, or more.”

“Maybe that explains his brutish behavior recently, but I don’t think he hates you for it.” Pablo whispered sympathetically. “He understood that you have to leave, have no choice but to. Perhaps this is just a coping method.”

Sportacus frowned and scowled both sadly and angrily at his sterile white walls, feeling only the slightest bit suffocated. “That doesn’t make it any better though. I wish I didn’t have to leave him- Gods, I’m going to be a- a fuc- a giant mess when I go.” 

In hopes to change the subject and recover Sportacus’ mood, Pablo gently asked the next attribute. They’d just talked about this topic after all, just before Íþróttaálfurinn had sent his recent letter. Sportacus still felt strongly about leaving, but Pablo reasoned it was good to make him think about other things than leaving at the moment. 

When Sportacus didn’t rattle off another trait, the chef raised an eyebrow and allowed himself a bite of his sandwich. Sportacus bit his lip and sat down cross legged, fingers hesitatingly playing with his pant seams. He didn’t look ready to cry anymore, but still seemed somber and shy. Pablo motioned for him to continue if he was ready, saying he was all ears. 

“I mean….It’s not really an attribute- I don’t know if he hates me for it, but I probably embarrassed him more than myself, or pushed him away, but..I went to the Junkfood’s party, and we played truth or dare with the kids, and Trixie dared me to say something that I like about Robbie, but I ended up embarrassing myself really bad.”

Pablo noticed the dark, childish red blush that graced Sportacus’ cheeks. He almost hated having to ask _how_ he embarrassed himself, seeing his friend cringe badly just thinking about it. Sportacus took a deep breath and continued. 

“I...I said a few things I appreciated, but then I started to get quiet as I got lost in thought. Even though nobody could really hear me- _thank Gods_ \- I rambled for _five minutes_ the things that I _loved_ about him. The worst part was he was sitting right next to me! I don’t even know if he heard me or not!” Sportacus whined again and fell onto his back, arms askew above his head while Pablo snorted sympathetically. 

“That is pretty bad. But you were passionate, and that was okay! Did he say anything bad afterwards?” 

“N-no..” Sportacus admitted sheepishly, “He helped me up and we went inside once we were all done….we didn’t really talk, I don’t think either of us knew how to proceed. I saw him the next day and we got along normally but...what if he thought rudely about it?” 

Pablo shook his head again exasperatedly. In that moment, he truly wished he was beside Sportacus. The urge to give him hugs and delicious foods was far too tempting. Sadly, the hero was over an hour away and technically on the job. The video chat would have to do for now. 

“I think he likes you, Sportacus.” He spoke softly, sincerely, “Just take my word for it, even if you don’t believe me. Personally, I think you should ask him out.” 

Sportacus sputtered and sat upright again, his mouth hanging open in surprise and anxiousness. “Ask him out? I- no- there’s no way I’d even be able to confidently walk up to him, let alone ask him-” 

Pablo groaned and rubbed a hand over his face. He smiled tiredly, leaned heavily onto one of his hands as he chuckled fondly. “Sportacus, do you love this man? Do you love Robbie Rotten?” 

“I- yes.”Another blush, a deep red coated Sportacus’ cheeks and neck that spread down under his shirt and jacket. 

“You don’t sound too sure of it.” Pablo tisked, “Do you, Sportacus 10, love Robbie Rotten?” 

“Yes, I do.” 

“Louder, Sport! More confident! Do _you love_ Robbie Rotten?!” 

“Yes! I love Robbie Rotten!”

“Again, come on Sportacus, louder!”

“ _I love Robbie Rotten!!_ ”

“Gee Sportacus, I really can’t tell if you love Robbie or not! Mind telling me again?!”

“I LOVE ROBBIE ROTTEN!! I want the world to know that I, Sportacus 10, _love Robbie Rotten_ with my heart and soul!” Sportacus shouted, a haphazard smile on his face as he flipped upright and danced, yelled, and laughed around the cabin. He slowed down to a walk and leaned against the wall dazed, chuckling warmly. Pablo laughed too, smiling brilliantly towards his computer camera as he egged his friend on.

“Then all you have to do is ask him out, make your passionate future reality! Ask him, take him on a date he’ll never forget and _make him yours!_ Make your dreams come true before you leave, Sportacus, and take him with you. Never let him go!” 

Pablo’s encouraging words brought a shy smile to Sportacus’ face. As he came back down from the adrenaline high he fidgeted again. Blue eyes looked out into the azure skies past the windshield, still unsure about the decision. 

“I desperately want to, Pablo..but I honestly don’t know what kind of date I’d take him on. It’d have to be special, and I’m not sure if I know him well enough to make him something that special. Sometimes I think the kids know him better than I do…” 

An awkward laugh earned him a warning glance from Pablo. “Ask the kids for date ideas before you ask him then. Get an idea before you try to set a date with him.”

Sportacus nodded determinedly. He abruptly jumped and looked up when the ship announced that he had mail. The letter contained his father’s curly handwriting, currently asking how Stephanie (and Robbie, coincidentally) had taken the news about him leaving. Sportacus wrote back saying they all took it mainly well, and mentioned that he might ask Robbie on a date soon- just as a heads up. The letter was sent and the elf shrugged back to his friend, who was just finishing his lunch was a satisfied sigh. 

“Alright, Pablo. I’ll take your advice and ask the kids, then I’ll ask Robbie out….Thanks, for this conversation. I’m afraid he’ll say no, but I have some confidence now. You’re a great friend.” 

Pablo patted his chest and looked as though he was fending off tears, eyes fluttering with every chuckle that escaped him. “You’re very welcome, hermano. Go out there and win his heart.” 

“I’ll try-”

“You have mail.” Both Sportacus and Pablo deadpanned at the AI, a little tired of it constantly interrupting their conversation. A beautifully folded teal letter flew in, bringing a nostalgic tight feeling to his chest. 

__

_“Dear Sportacus,_

_COURT HIM!!_

__

_Love, Amma.”_

Sportacus barked out a laugh and rubbed at his suddenly teary eyes. Pablo leaned forward as he was shown the letter, a smile cutting through his confusion once Sportacus explained who sent it. 

“It’s from my Amma, my grandmother. She’s….always had a soft spot for Robbie, ever since he was a little kid. I guess you’re not the only one rooting for me.” Sport sniffed and laughed as Pablo cheered. They petered into childish giggles while the moment passed.

Pablo groaned and leaned back in his chair. He had errands to run and a farewell to be said. “Goodbye, hermano! Good luck with the date, and remember to ask the kids first! You’ll do wonderfully- just trust me when I say that he is definitely interested in you. Have a good day Sportacus, we’ll talk later.” 

Sportacus waved goodbye as the call ended, the TV slipping back into the wall. He sighed and plopped back down on the floor next to the food bar, heart beating from the rollercoaster of a conversation he’d just had. The blue skies helped to calm his nerves, mind much clearer than it had been before. 

Once staring outside and being lovesick became too overpowering, Sportacus stretched and jumped down into his little world. That date wasn’t going to plan itself, after all.

**\------**

The kids weren’t in the park, which was concerning for Sportacus. With every minute that he couldn’t find them he lost confidence in planning a date for Robbie. Biting his lip, he ran around and eventually wandered into the business district. 

At first, Sportacus couldn’t find any of the kids there either. Perhaps he should just go find Glanni, or Ella, or text one of the boys and ask for help-

“Sportasexy! What are you doing down here?” Speak of the Devil and He shall come. 

“I-uh- nothing- um, do you know where the kids are?” 

Glanni raised an eyebrow in an amused smirk, “What, no hello? Am I not worth your time to tell either? Alright, alright, I see how it is, Boytoy. And no, I haven’t seen your precious disciples.” 

Sportacus couldn’t help but sputter, still spooked from Glanni just popping in out of nowhere. His flirtatious attitude was one he'd only encountered during his one sided texts, leaving Sportacus uncomfortable with the real thing. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled loudly and waved his hands around in an explanation. The half fae man popped his hips and listened. 

“Well, that’s okay, I was just...Do you have any tips-....What...does...Robbie-”

“Spit it out, elf.” 

“DoyouknowwhatRobbiewantsinadate?”

Silence, followed by a cheshire grin and a manic gleam to Glanni’s eyes. He leaned down over the shorter elf and purred as he said, “A date, huh? What Robbie likes? Are you...planning to ask my brother out, Boytoy?” 

“Maybe!” Sportacus defended a little too harshly. Glanni laughed and spun on his heels. 

“Well, I honestly have to go, but as for your advice, I’d suggest an aesthetically pleasing, delicious dinner and something entertaining afterwards. He doesn’t like to be bored, mind you. Tata, Sportacrush.”

Sportacus cringed as the half fae winked at him then disappeared in a literal plume of hot pink smoke. Of course he’d magic out, probably off to MayhemTown to replenish his alcohol collection. He rolled his eyes and nervously continued down the strip, eyes peeled for active children. 

He couldn’t even turn around before a yelp was forced out of him. About five pairs of arms had tacked into his back and sides, five shrieking screams in his ears. Pixel and Jives were the only two teenagers to not attack their hero with enthusiastic hugs and sharp screaming. Sportacus fell to the ground under the sudden weight of them all, pinned and rendered useless to their too bright grins and seeping energy.

“Wh- guys! What’s happening?”

“ _YOU’RE GOING TO ASK ROBBIE ON A DA-_ ”

Before she could say the word ‘date’, Sportacus slapped a hand over Trixie’s mouth and grew to a tomato shade of red. She grinned against his skin, matching the ones that the rest of the group sported. They all waited for him to say something, practically vibrating in the anticipation.

“You...heard me talking to Glanni?”

“Yes! We did, sorry Sportacus, but we just couldn’t stop ourselves and when we heard what you said- oh Sportacus, you have _no idea_ how much of a relief this is!” Stephanie laughed, Ella giggling besides her. They high fived before lifting Sportacus off the ground. 

The group chattered excitedly around him, somehow not gaining any onlookers from Trixie’s shouting. Ziggy caught Sportacus’ attention, his lips tugged into a smile at the ends, but otherwise he huffed and frowned, arms crossed exaggeratedly. 

“I said we should have waited until one of them asked us for help, but you all said no. Well I was right!” 

“You were very right, Ziggy.” Jives lazily grinned. Sportacus furrowed his brows and anxiously crossed his arms. They had expected him to need help?”

“You guys already knew that I would need help?”

“Ziggy and Jives, really. The rest of us were going to just set you two up. It’s painful to watch.” Ella spoke clearly, blinking innocently. 

Sportacus couldn’t help but laugh softly. His shook his head, goggles gently rattling with the movement. The kids smiled far too brightly at him from under his fondly stern stare and crossed arms. They dissolved into giggles, cheeks pink with good health and laughter. 

“Okayokayokay!” Sportacus breathed, still recovering from his small giggling fit, “If you were just going to set us up, does that mean you have date ideas?” 

“We did.” Pixel spoke up, “But we decided to scrap most of them. If you need help with planning I can recover some documents and we can use a spreadsheet to create a schedule.” 

Everybody agreed to meet up at a little bakery at the very end of the business district. It was usually pretty empty, leading to the eight of them to steal a circular booth towards the back of the shop. They ordered their own drinks and sugar-free donuts, everyone munching as Pixel recovered old date ideas and brought up a spreadsheet. The group crowded closer to him so they could all see. 

“You guys scrapped a lot…” Sportacus blushed, reading over some very cute date ideas. The thought of actually living some of them out with Robbie was too exhilarating. 

Pixel shrugged and shoved the computer in Sportacus’ direction. Doing as told, the hero used the highlighter tool to highlight any date idea he thought best for their first date. Picnic, bowling, roller skating, smoothies and relaxing, and fancy dinner were chosen for debate. Pixel cracked his knuckles and took his computer back, hastily making a schedule table for all the ideas to see how they’d work in schedule format. 

“I think you should do bowling.” Ziggy muttered, “One time Stephanie and I saw Robbie bowling with his family a few years back. He was super good at it.” 

“Robbie likes bowling?” Sportacus awed, “See, this is why I asked you guys! You seem to know more about him than I do.” He sighed and reveled in the fact that Robbie liked a sport other than ice skating. It made his heart melt. 

“We don’t know him _that_ well.” Trixie muttered.

“I think you should go ice skating. Didn’t you and Robbie privately skate in February?” Asked Stingy. Sportacus bobbed his head in affirmation. Ella awed, chin in her hands while she gazed at her uncle’s crush.

“That’s too cute. Dad and Uncle Robbie always used to skate with me when I was little. That’s seriously too cute. Take him skating- I like that idea a lot.” 

Stephanie threw out the suggestion of voting on each date idea after debating it. They voted on ice skating and got a result of six for it. Bowling got five, roller skating three, picnics one, and smoothies one. Dinner got paired with skating, whether they ate before or after was up to Robbie’s preference. In the end they came up with a lunch date plan just in case, involving the smoothies idea, flying kites, and maybe some cuddling under the stars if they stayed out late enough.

“Guys...thank you so much.” Sportacus gushed. The kids had to refrain from shouting, “Your welcome!” They all burst into laughter, happy and confident. With shared determination, they got back to planning. 

**\------**

After three hours of exercising lightly in the shop, Sportacus officially had to excuse himself. The space was clean and had room to move, even with everybody situated around the small booth, but he needed room to _move_. The kids said their goodbyes before starting to pack up themselves, the sun already going down and past their dinner times. 

“Sportacus,” The bracer on his arm beeped, “You have a pending call from: Sportacus 8. Would you like to answer it?” 

“Amma?” Sportacus asked with an excited smile. He was still in the middle of the park, but when was the last time he’d talked to his grandmother? “Yes, please, answer it!” 

“Hello?” Called a sensitive, warm voice. Just hearing his amma made his heart melt and a dopey grin break out over his face. 

“Hello, Amma! Sorry, can I put you on hold? I’m almost to my airship, that way you can get video.” 

“Oh, Sportacus! That’s quite alright, I realize you’re a busy hero. I’ll give you a minute.”

With her confirmation, Sportacus put her on hold and ran to his airship. After a day of being anxious and a week of being subtly depressed about leaving, a nice conversation with his grandmother sounded _heavenly_. Sportacus climbed hastily up the ladder and took his grandmother off hold with a smile.

“Ah, there you are! Hows my grandson doing?” Amma grinned, her pearly teeth reflecting the orange light from outside the nearby window. 

Sportacus couldn’t stop the laugh that tumbled from his lips, “I’ve been pretty good! LazyTown recently got a police station, so I have some extra help. My crystal hasn’t gone off as much, but I think in the long run that’s good.” 

“Oh yes, especially with you going up to the North with your new apprentice soon. What was her name again?” 

“Her name is Stephanie. She’s such a wonderful kid, Amma, I know you’ll love her. She’s so excited to meet you- and Pabbi, on better terms.” 

“Oh yes, I can’t wait to meet her too-” Amma turned around at the feeling of her son’s hand on her back, who leaned over the chair and smiled into the computer camera.

“Hello Pabbi!” Sportacus chirped. 

Amma greeted her son, the two having a quick conversation while Sportacus observed the look of his childhood home in the background. He could see his Aunt Seven sleeping in the living room, the tune of summer songs from the village square seeping in through the windows. The feeling of home and nostalgia was overwhelming, and for a second he selfishly wished the month might go by faster. He regretted it with a deep pang of hurt not even a second later, immediately thinking of Robbie. Sportacus was pulled out of his hurt too early when his father addressed him.

“Good evening, son. I was just asking your Amma why she decided to call you, but she won’t tell me yet. Did something happen?” 

“He’s about to court a wonderful boy, is what! Tell me Sportacus, how did it go?” She grinned. Sportacus laughed and shook his head, trying to avoid her sparkling blue eyes and teasing white smile. 

“Ammmmmaaaa...I didn’t ask him today. I asked the kids for help with date ideas.” She frowned at first, then shook her head of white hair and smiled at him again. 

“Well, at least you’re planning it out. Robbie was always a picky boy, but a good one.” 

"What ideas did you come up with?” Rumbled his father. 

Sportacus leaned against the food bar as he threw his head back in thought. “Uh, well..I’m not sure yet, but I think we decided that if we’re going for a lunch date, that I’d take him to get smoothies and stop by the bakery before flying kites. For a dinner date, we thought maybe getting dinner after hours at Pablo’s, but we have to ask him about that. Afterwards, I might take him skating down in MayhemTown.” 

The young elf smiled when his father purred his approval and his amma clapped her hands as she awed. “That sounds so lovely, Sport! Well whatever you do, I think he might like it very much. He’s been good recently?”

Sportacus shrugged and looked down, watching his feet scuff against the white flooring nervously. “Yes, he’s been okay. Kind of rude lately, but I think it’s because the construction started again. I’m not very sure, but I’m determined to ask him out before I leave. The kids and I are aiming for a sunny day sometime around the middle of May, once it’s for sure warm and nice out.” 

Amma seemed to agree, her head nodding as he spoke. She leaned forward onto the wooden table and smiled at her grandson warmly, “I’m sure he’s okay, Sportacus. He was always very stable as a child, although I haven’t seen him since before his whole parents incident happened. Just do your best and be there for him, even when he’s a prickly beast. I think he appreciates your presence more than he lets on.” 

Íþróttaálfurinn agreed as a choked yawn almost went by unsuppressed. Sportacus bid his father goodnight as Amma kissed her son, shooing him off to bed. She smiled at him and Sportacus wondered how happy he was going to be in June, when he could pick his Amma up and hug her tight. She was strong and could probably hug him just as tight, which brought a smile to his lips. 

The two talked for another two hours, long past the point where the music stopped in the village square and the evening light couldn’t be seen from through the window. Sportacus only hung up once his Amma accidentally fell asleep while explaining a story, leaving him to whisper a good night and watch the TV slide back into the wall. 

Immediately, the sterility of the ship was overpowering. Sportacus swallowed thickly and began his bedtime routine, even though it was almost ten at night. The ship was far too quiet, so he had some music in the background. It was comforting but not at the same time. He desperately tried to ignore the feeling of weird in his own thoughts.

To distract himself, Sportacus let himself think about Robbie, stupidly thinking of kissing him, holding him, dating and sharing a life with him. Then the hurt came, reminding him that he was leaving, and if nothing went to plan, then he’d be leaving alone and with a (probably) broken heart. That thought was far too scary than it needed to be. Moreover, it was almost funny to think that earlier that day he’d more or less made peace with the feeling of leaving, even if Robbie wouldn’t come with him. But after gathering the courage to put time into planning a date, thinking about his utmost love for Robbie all day, it was suddenly hitting home just how heart broken he’d be over the half fae. 

The crystal beeped abruptly, jarring Sportacus harshly. His head hit the end of the food bar, causing him to hiss while standing up from a set of crunches. Sleep would have to wait, as would that date for Robbie. Sportacus fastened his goggles and jumped down, shoving thoughts and pained feelings (and a new throbbing headache) away. Something had happened with Stingy again, and he was needed. As always, duty called. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovlies! Amma appeared, and I love her a lot. She appears later on, and I love her a lot <3 Also Pablo came back, bc he and Sporty are A+++ buds and Sport needs some encouragement!! Get the Rob, boy-o!!
> 
> I wanted to thank everyone for their comments, especially on the last chapters with them being so bland. I appreciated them greatly, you have no idea. Made me smile and brighten up my day :) Thank you, lovelies!!
> 
> I'm tired, and do not have any of the next chapter written, but fear not! I will have it out soon! For I am excited for the next chapter, and want to write it so bad!! 
> 
> Ahh, well thank you all for reading, and have a wonderful night/day <3.


	22. Chapter Twenty-One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! Sorry for the wait (again) but just a quick note that the style for this chapter is a little different and somebody does have a panic attack in this chapter. I've had a panic attack before, but that was about two years ago, so I did do research. It's sorta detailed, and I apologize _greatly_ if what I have written is incorrect or rude. With that said, I will put bolded asterisks around that section for those who would prefer not to read it. That should be all, so please enjoy the chapter :)

Sportacus purred softly at the feeling of Robbie’s weight on top of him. It was involuntary, but it put the half-fae man at ease. Robbie smiled softly, eyes closing at the too-comforting feeling of Sportacus’ nails lightly scratching his scalp. Maybe, finally, he’d be able to sleep after five days. 

“Where’s your brother at?” Sportacus whispered suddenly. Robbie grunted in reply, stating he didn’t know. 

“Why? He didn’t do something, did he?”

“No, but I don’t think he’s slept in a few days either. My crystal is still flashing for one of you two.” Usually the crystal calmed down after Sportacus found Robbie, but it still flashed it’s blue and pink colors. Robbie reluctantly let Sportacus shimmy out of his grip and off the bed. 

Across the hall, Sportacus swung open Glanni’s bedroom door. Glanni laid on his back on the bed, head picked up to look at the intruder. He tried to sneer, but was rendered useless when Sportacus half carried him over across the hall. The hero had two insomniac men to help and it was better if they were in the same room. 

Glanni took three fourths of Robbie’s blankets and burritoed himself in them, watching with already drooping lids as Sportacus slid back under Robbie’s hold. The younger sibling set his head in Sportacus’ lap, letting his fingers resume the soft thrifting through his hair. Glanni wriggled closer, insistent on watching his brother fall asleep before he did himself. 

Robbie, sheltered only by Sportacus’ arms and a single blanket, fell asleep quite easily. Five days of being awake had taken a toll on him. That, combined with Sportacus knowing just what needed to be done, put him to sleep within an hour. Glanni shuffled even closer as Robbie’s eyes closed and his breathing evened out. Sportacus shifted down some, hands readjusting his grip on Robbie, holding him tightly. 

A strong feeling of….protection, adoration, and _love_ overpowered Sportacus. Here he was, helping his best friend, yet they laid together. It’d happened before- Robbie fell asleep far easier in Sportacus’ arms. It was the fastest sleep remedy the two had found yet. Just knowing that soon, when he was gone, if he and Robbie didn’t work out, that he would be insomniac and awake without anyone to help him just so made Sportacus near tears. He _needed_ to be there for Robbie, to hold him, love and protect him. Glanni watched as Sportacus shook with the force of trying not to let out a single sob. He reached out and steadied the elf before him. 

“....You care. You’re good for him.”

“Am I?” Sportacus whispered. He sounded both disbelieving and hopeful. Glanni nodded and stared at the dark ceiling as he gathered his thoughts.

“You have a good positive influence on him. He needs that- you’re his anchor. I think he’s the same way for you, in that you’re good for each other.”

“I’m flattered.” Sportacus held Robbie tighter, his nose nuzzled into his ungelled, tangled curly locks. 

“Good. Just don’t..he has his mind set on something. Set hard. You know how stubborn he can be, but imagine it set one hundred times harder. He might not listen to you at some point, but don’t give up. You’re his weakness- he’ll listen eventually.”

“Why are you being so cryptic?” Sportacus murmured, brows furrowed. He listened as Glanni chuckled tiredly.

“You’re asking a guy who has been awake almost a week why he’s being cryptic? If you think that was bad, just think about what it’s like in my head right now.”

“No thanks.” Glanni laughed, the sound muffled by the three blankets that he’d dipped his head under. 

As soon as the laughter died out the conversation stopped. Glanni was finally feeling sleep dawning on him as well, leading him to snuggle up to the warm conglomerate of his brother and the town hero. Despite knowing his shoulders would be sore in the morning, Sportacus wrapped one arm around Glanni’s form and kept him close. The elder brother, while still preferring his space, sometimes needed cuddles (like his brother) to fall asleep during bad insomniac periods. He was asleep soon, leaving Sportacus to drift off immediately after him.

**\------**

The door clicked closed behind Sportacus’ heels. Robbie, laid out on the couch, didn’t bother to sit up and watch him go. Glanni walked into the living room with a hot cup of especially sugary coffee in one hand, another in his left hand for Robbie. They were set on the coffee table as Glanni popped a hip and watched the elf leave.

“You know, I think you should ask him ou-”

“I’m ready.”

Glanni paused, eyebrows furrowed. Robbie noticed and clearly stated, “I’m ready to go.”

A heavy sigh. “The papers are through? You really want to do this? Too stubborn to turn back? You’re going to regret this.” 

Despite the questions, Robbie seemed unphased. He simply exhaled, tears in his eyes, and nodded. “Too late now. I’ll be gone by next Wednesday.”

“You’re breaking your own heart, you know.” Glanni whispered, a warning and somehow a last minute exit from this Hell Plan. 

“I’d rather break my own heart than let the man I love do it for me.” 

The elder sibling pressed his lips together firmly. He had to admit, after a month of planning and distancing bullshit, that this wasn’t a very well thought out plan. Incredibly stupid, not worth it at all. As much as he wanted to fight more against it, he knew Robbie wouldn’t stop.

“The kids and Sportacus won’t like the news once they hear it.”

“I’m not going to talk to any of them- except Stingy- for the entire week. They won’t know until I’m gone.”

Apparently, that was that. Glanni took his coffee and downed half of it. Robbie refused to turn back, so at this point it was either ride or die. The best thing to do was hang on and watch the week pan out.

**\------**

Bowtie? Check.

Flowy, unhidden hair? Double check.

Breath mint? Triple check. 

Award winning smile? Quadruple check.

Flowers? Check, check, check, and check. 

With a deep inhale, Sportacus felt giddy with excitement. Or nervousness, or perhaps even both. Either way, he was as dressed as he could be on a work day (still in his hero suit, except now with a bowtie) and ready to ask Robbie out on the greatest date ever. 

The flowers were hidden behind his back, a surprise gift, so Sportacus could kept from flipping up Robbie’s porch stairs. His breathing started to get a little heavy, but gosh darn it, he wasn’t going to ruin this! He did a few quick breathing exercises until the shake in his exhale went away.

At first it did. Then, before he could knock, Sportacus faltered because of his own thoughts.

What if Robbie didn’t want to see him? What if he said no? What if he didn’t feel the same way? There were a hundred ways for Sportacus to embarrass himself. How many stupid things could he stutter at once? What if Robbie laughed at him, or got angry, or yelled at him, or sneered and called him names, or slammed the door on his face-

A deep, deep breath. A few more breathing exercises. Everything was going to be okay. He was going to admit his feelings and ask Robbie out. He was determined to at least do both of those before he left for the North. Everything would be alright.

Despite his own overshadowing doubt, Sportacus put a smile back on his face and knocked bravely on Robbie’s door.

The door swung open, Robbie standing in the doorway. He looked only slightly rumpled, hair not yet gelled, clothes a little wrinkly. Sportacus felt himself liven up, not deterred by what seemed like Robbie’s slightly foul mood.

“Hello Rob-”

_SLAM!_

Wh- did he just-

“R...Robbie?” Sportacus asked. Before he could try to knock again he heard the obnoxious locking of the intricate lock system on the door. The lock system that Robbie hardly ever bothered to use. There was a muffled shout, something that sounded a lot like ‘go away’. 

**********

Okay. Okayokayokayokay. 

Sportacus felt his breathing getting harsh, but everything was okay- he couldn’t think straight, could feel the shivers in his spine and the shake in his hands- The last time Robbie’d slammed a door on him or refused to speak to him was years ago. Wasn’t since- since- since his time proudly holding his villain title. But that was a long time ago, and today might have been a bad day, or he wasn’t ready or company, and maybe he wasn’t properly dressed- or- or- or-

Sportacus turn and ran. 

Ran into the park and crouched under a wall. Tried not to crush the flowers, which could be salvaged for another attempt. Held a hand to his shivering jaw, trying to cover his mouth as an obscene sob escaped his lips. He’d skipped the crying part, now onto full on sobbing. He was sweating but felt chilled in the spring air all at once. 

What was happening? Why was he panicking? 

Everything was spinning out of control, nothing was in his grasp anymore. He had to have been dying, had to have been having a heart attack. Everything felt _giant_ and _wrong_ , he was panicking and too aware of that panic all at once. A sob choked it’s way out again, too loud to his sensitive ears.

Sportacus gasped in a breath against a wave of nausea. He couldn’t stop the shakes or the terrible feeling in his stomach and head. He’d felt confident but anxious before, but now everything but _panic_ and _hurt_. Nausea overtook again, causing Sportacus to scoot farther back against the wall, tucked besides the legs of the mailbox. 

The too-aware feeling turned to realization, and slowly he let himself be battered by the senses abusing him. It took a moment, but he began to feel the drowning sensations go away. 

**********

Eventually, after what felt like hours but was only minutes, when he could manage to breathe without the choking feeling of sobbing or swirling in his stomach, Sportacus wobbled onto his legs and rode the ladder up into his airship.

**\------**

It’d been years since he’d had a panic attack. It was hard to remember the last one he had, and even this one. Too many emotions and thoughts at the time. All he knew was that once up in the airship he’d puked and almost fell asleep in his bed. 

Stephanie had texted. Sportacus had responded that he didn’t feel well at the moment, and somehow (perhaps the Mayor or Bessie had been with her) the word had spread. The town panicked at first, but relaxed once Sportacus called Stephanie and smoothed everything out. The Mayor even pardoned him for the next day, allowing their beloved hero to recover. Once the mail stopped flying into the airship, Sportacus fell into the most pitiful sleep he’d had in decades. 

On Thursday morning Sportacus awoke to a message from Glanni on the AI. For once it wasn’t flirtatious, only apologetic. Apparently Robbie’d heard what happened and wanted to ‘apologize’. He hadn’t told Stephanie that he had a panic attack because of his own nerves, so Robbie was probably just assuming. Either way, it made his stomach roll all over again. 

Surprisingly, Glanni texted Sportacus back. He normally refused to do so, but today seemed to be an abnormal day anyways. In response, Glanni said that Robbie figured something had happened after their ‘interaction’ yesterday and was sorry about it. Also no, it wouldn’t be wise to try and ask again today. Not like Sportacus was really interested in trying again right away, anyways. It seemed from the mood and implications of the message that the rest of the week would be rough as well. 

Sportacus curled up in his bed and skyped Pablo. Today was supposedly his day off, and Sportacus needed the encouragement and support. 

“Amigo?” Pablo’s face fell as his screen resolved to show Sportacus’ form. He looked pitiful, shaky and sleep deprived. 

“I tried to ask him out. He...slammed the door in my face before I was even done greeting him. I..had a panic attack yesterday. Fell asleep early, but slept terribly.” 

“Oh, Sportacus…” As Pablo began to mother him from the TV screen, Sportacus curled into a ball on his bed and let himself be comforted.

Glanni’s cryptic, sleep deprived words rung in his head. Sportacus was determined to try asking again tomorrow- maybe- hopefully- perhaps- if somehow Robbie would listen. He’d come so far as to ask once, he could do it again. It was a personal goal to, at the very least, tell Robbie his feelings. Even if it ended badly, he just needed Robbie to know. Pablo seemed to agree with these views, when Sportacus mentioned them, and gave him the slightest bit of encouragement and hope.

For now, emotionally exhausted, Sportacus was going to let Pablo take care of him. Today wasn’t his day to play hero.

**\------**

Two days after the Robbie-Door Incident, as Sportacus had dubbed it, he found himself trying again. Pablo had done a wonderful job of taking care of him and dissecting Sportacus’ doubts and fears, that way they could sort of avoid another panic attack and instill some confidence. It’d worked, just a little bit. Still, instead of confidence and doubt, Sportacus now felt confidence and a sort of angst that settled jaggedly in his gut. Regardless, he was trying again.

Minus the flowers and bow tie, Sportacus did exactly what he’d done the first time. Done some breath exercises, calmed down any racing nerves, and knocked on the door with a (slightly droopy) smile.

Stephanie, Jives, and Stingy waited just outside Robbie’s walkway. When Sportacus had voiced trying to ask again, they’d disagreed with him. After not feeling well, would it really be good to try and ask Robbie out? Nonetheless, Sportacus was determined, so they came with him. 

Jives shushed them when Sportacus knocked. The three teenagers fidgeted with their hero, all eyes on the door. Everyone sucked in an excited breath when the door opened…

...and out walked Ella. She stopped once seeing Sportacus, who sighed with a sad laugh and ran a hand over his hat. 

“Hello, Ella...Would your uncle happen to be home?” A nod. She’d gone back to not speaking very often, now accompanied with a constant sullen look. Sportacus sighed. 

“Does he also not want to talk to anybody? Glanni said he was busy and..not in the mood for social interactions of almost any kind.” 

Another nod. Sportacus groaned and hung his head. Ella had enough sympathy to walk forward and enveloped him in a hug, causing Sportacus to snort softly but hug back. She swayed them, arms tightly wound around Sportacus’ chest. 

To Sportacus, it felt more or less like she was telling him it was alright and not to give up. They parted, two sad yet knowing smiles upon their faces. Sportacus nodded and was determined to try again tomorrow. He’d ask Robbie, if it was the last thing he did. 

**\------**

On Saturday, three days after the Robbie-Door Incident, Sportacus sauntered up the deck to Pablo’s lakeside restaurant during the evening. He passed the last couple of the night on the way in, smiling and chuckling a hello. They kept the door open for him, letting him pass through with a thank you.

Pablo didn’t say anything as Sportacus shuffled into the restaurant. His face settled into a bittersweet smile. Sportacus stopped as Pablo rounded the counter, enveloping his friend in a hug. He whispered praises and encouragement, Sportacus melting into the hug just hearing them.

They hugged tighter before Pablo brought Sportacus over to the counter and seated him, that way they could talk while he cleaned up his work space. 

For a while, though, they sat in silence. Sportacus leaned onto the counter, head laying sideways on his arms as he watched Pablo wash some dishes and silverware. Pablo glanced up at him and hummed softly, searching for a conversation topic.

“You doing okay, hermano?”

“Yes- I think. Better than yesterday, and the day before that- and way better than on Wednesday. I don’t know, though…”

“No? Is there something specifically that’s bothering you?” Pablo inquired. He raised an unjudging eyebrow as Sportacus shifted in his seat and snuggled further into his arms. 

“I...I’m confident in asking Robbie on a date and telling him my feelings- I’ve resolved to do at least those before I leave, and I’m probably way too determined to do them. I…” He stopped for a deep breath, “I think I’m afraid of hearing an answer. After Wednesday, I’m scared he’ll do something worse- whether he means to or not! I’m just- frightened? Nervous? Like I said, I don’t know.” 

Pablo nodded as he took this information in. A towel seemed to mystically appear out of nowhere as he wiped his hands dry, jaw set in thought. Eventually, he too leaned on the counter and poked at Sportacus’ cheek.

“You know what, Sportacus? You’ve been pushing yourself to your own goals very hard this week. Despite having a panic attack and consistent doubt and falls in confidence, you’ve been very strong. I’m proud of you! Robbie’s must be having a bad week, because he’s missing out, amigo.” 

A laugh escaped Sportacus, head picked up a little as he gently shook it. A dopey smile crossed his features while regarding his friend, “Well, Glanni said eventually he’d listen. Texted me the other day and said not to give up- that Robbie’d listen to me if I break through to him, which _apparently_ shouldn’t be hard.” He shrugged and stared off at the lake, a little distant as he said, “Besides, I just want to tell him how I feel. And ask him out. I know Glanni said he’d listen, but that’s harder said than done. I just don’t know if he’ll actually listen to me. Anyways, you’re a big confidence boost. Keeps me level headed. Thanks- for that.” 

Pablo smiled but said nothing in response, instead shooting him a supporting wink and turning around to put plates and cups into their appropriate cabinets. They sat in amiable silence until another thought occurred to the chef. 

“By the way, speaking of Glanni, have you talked to him today?”

“Glanni? No, I haven’t. I’ve talked to Ella though, why?”

“Well, I was wondering if he’d said anything that you might be able to discern about Robbie and why he’s acting this way. Or if he’s a triplet or something- I know you haven’t talked about him too often with me- but I saw three very similar looking men walk into Robbie’s house this morning on my drive in. They just let themselves in, so I was wondering if they knew what was going on with him.”

Sportacus scrunched up his brow in thought, a distasteful frown marring his features. It took his emotionally tired brain a moment to register the word ‘three’ and ‘triplets’. As soon as he did, Sportacus stood on the rungs of the stool he sat on and gaped at Pablo. 

“Bobby, Tobby, and Flobby are here? In town? I could probably talk to them! Oh Gods, Pablo, thanks for mentioning that! I mean, no, Glanni isn’t a triplet- he’s actually their eldest brother- but still! Thank you!” 

Pablo blinked and then smiled shyly, laughing as he shrugged his shoulders. “I mean, you’re welcome? Sorry hermano, you took me by surprise for a second there! Good to know, though- about the brothers.” 

Sportacus nodded and settled back into his chair. If the boys were in town then they’d probably stay a night or two. He could try to catch them tomorrow, or Glanni, or whoever opened the door when he tried sometime in the week. For at least another three weeks he had the opportunity to try and break through to Robbie, so there was no need to try every day. 

So, for the moment, he looked out over the calm, evening colored lake and suppressed his thoughts. A peaceful evening was more than welcome after the last few days. 

**\------**

One thing that Sportacus had noticed was that Bobby, Tobby, and Flobby were all very busy working around Robbie’s house. They were tidying up the outside and working on other projects around the sides and backyard. Sportacus swore that he saw them painting the shutters once- and for some reason they were now pink.

A purple house with bright pink shutters just looked like a color disaster. He didn’t like the ominous look of the multiple black cans of paint either- meaning that either the fence or the house itself were about to get a makeover. 

He desperately wished it were the fence. 

So, while the three boys worked most of the day Sunday and Monday, Sportacus decided to keep his distance. Glanni nor Robbie had been seen in a few days, and Ella scarcely came out. When she did she wore a face that hid frowns and depressed looks, her mask too forced and obvious. Sportacus had asked her if she was okay multiple times, only to be met with nods of her head and a quiet smile. 

Something told him that not everything was okay. 

The second thing that Sportacus noticed was the number of boxes that the triplets were piling into the car on Monday evening. They seemed to be full of clothes or appliances. The shiny gleam of Robbie’s sewing machine sticking out of a box caught his attention, because even Sportacus knew that Robbie would _never_ part with his baby. 

With the sewing machine being packed away, Sportacus watched from the top of a wall as other boxes got piled into the trunk and part of the back seat. Most of the cooking appliances, blankets, books, and knick-knacks of Robbie’s were being piled in. The unease in Sportacus’ stomach hardened and sank even further as he watched them heave out and shove Robbie’s beloved orange lamp and other bedroom accessories into the trunk.

Perhaps it was time to try and talk to Robbie again- or at least the boys or another extension of Robbie’s family. 

“Oh! Uh...hey, Sportacus!” Bobby laughed awkwardly, stopping in the doorway at the sight of Sportacus climbing up the porch stairs. Tobby and Flobby looked from behind him uncertainly, the boxes in their arms increasingly heavy on their weary bodies. 

“Hey, guys! I noticed that there was some moving going on, and decided to see if I could come help. I also have to talk to Robbie, so I-”

“Uh, well, Robbie isn’t in the mood to uh- talk and um-” Tobby had to shift the box in his arm to keep it from spilling, “w-we got this covered, so you’re good! You can just uh...go back to playing with the kids.” 

Sportacus had a hard time believing his forced smile. 

“Are you sure?”

“Oh yeah, yeah yeah- _shit!_ ”

Bobby stumbled forward as Tobby lost his grip on the box. Multiple sets of thick books and cases of DVDs spilled onto the ground, thudding loudly on the pavement porch. Flobby winced in the back, shifting his own box in order to avoid the same disaster.

“Oh, Gods, let me help-”

“They got it covered, Sportanosy, just let them work.” Glanni appeared in the doorway, arm leaning on the frame of it while keeping out of Flobby’s way. He eyed Sportacus with narrowed eyes, keeping the elf’s attention from the two boys trying to repack the box before hurrying off to the car. It was just the two of them when Flobby moved past, waddling unstably. 

“...I could have helped pick everything up. I’m kinda the one that caused it.” Sportacus mumbled, head bowed and eyes looking up apologetically. 

Glanni snorted, a casual shrug of his shoulders while leaning even more onto the doorframe. “No- well, maybe. But it was Tobby who dropped the box, and he’s the one who mainly picked everything back up. You don’t need to worry about anything. Are you trying to talk to Robbie again?”

“Well, I thought I’d help with….whatever moving is going on here. And talk to Robbie. I’ve got a few important questions to ask him.” Sportacus wearily looked at the overpacked car, in which the boys were getting ready to drive off with. “I think I kind of deserve some answers, at this point.” 

Glanni’s heavy sigh brought Sportacus back to their conversation. The lanky man hung his head and shook it with a tired laugh. “Yeah, yeah you kinda do. Glad you can tell that much, with all those rambunctious thoughts of yours.” 

Sportacus huffed, arms crossing while he looked up at the half-fae. “Yes, I can tell that much, thank you. I also know that I want to ask Robbie on something very nice, but he’s been feeling terrible lately, and nobody has let me speak with him. My crystal hasn’t gone off and I’d like to help him- not to mention you’re being cryptic, then helpful, then cryptic all over again! It’s- it’s not helping!” 

Glanni seemed unphased by Sportacus’ short outburst. He shrugged and looked out at the evening sky solemnly. Sportacus looked to, before looking back with a frown. Wasn’t he going to retort, or say something sassy?

“Okay, this is more straightforward, but you just need to get a hold of him- _when we’re not here._ I don’t know how many times I’ve implied that in my texts, but-”

“Not even once, Glanni.”

He scoffed and ignored Sportacus’ growl, “ _But-_ I’m not about to get my ass beat because I forced my brother into unwanted social interaction. Sure, he wants help, and he’s getting it from his family. Robbie’s getting better, but I just don’t know what to tell you. I’m not going to force him to talk to you, or vice versa, but you just need to find sometime when it’s just him and _talk._ ”

Sportacus couldn’t help the frustrated whine that escaped him. Glanni’s unhelpful advice was starting to truly get on his nerves- and that didn’t happen often. 

“You’re not helping! I know that I have to talk to _just_ him, because nobody is _letting_ me even _get_ to him! And even if I start talking, who’s to say that he’s going to listen? We all know he won’t! I just have so many questions! Why is there boxes with his valuables being taken away? Is he moving-”

“Spring cleaning.” Glanni said a little too quickly. “He wanted to get rid of a lot of stuff so he could get better appliances.” 

Sportacus squinted, mouth pressed into a firm, unbelieving line. “What about his sewing machine..?”

“He’s getting a new one soon, too.” 

The two of them blinked at one another. Sportacus scoffed, ran a hand over his hat, and took a few deep breathes. Having another outburst wasn’t going to help either of them in this situation.

“You know what? I can believe that. He’s been complaining about getting a new one anyways. Just...I’m going to give him some space. See if he feels better, not bother him. I have a month left to ask him, so I think I’ll be okay. Just…” He took a distracted look at the house and box filled car before he shuddered, “...whatever is going on here, I hope gets better. Because this busy atmosphere probably isn’t helping Robbie’s mood. Tell him I said hello, and to feel better. Goodnight, Glanni.”

Tired of the tense and too quick conversation, Sportacus chose to exit early than to have another subtle argument on Robbie’s property _again_. He could feel Glanni’s eyes watching him leave, could hear the boys’ quick goodbye and the sound of them leaving, the front door to the house being shut soon after. 

Sportacus climbed back up onto his wall and began to meditate. Whatever was happening- whatever was bothering Robbie- would pass, and everything would be alright. The bad times never lasted for long.

Or at least, at this point, Sportacus hoped they wouldn’t.

**\------**

The slap of her shoes on the pavement was loud, but her harsh breathing was louder. Suddenly, she skidded to a stop in front of the purple house, chest heaving with every breath. Tears stung her eyes at the sight of the lanky man, carrying one of the last boxes of his belongings into a rental car. He didn’t see her or the single tear drop that escaped her. 

His niece walked up. Head hung low, feet shuffling while she tried to avoid contact. Stephanie couldn’t help but sniffle and frown at her. 

“You knew. And you didn’t tell us.”

“...family didn’t want anybody to know. I was just doing what I thought best for them.” 

“But- Sportacus- how is he going to tell Robbie if he’s leaving?” Stephanie couldn’t keep her voice from wavering. 

Ella snapped her head up, guilt in her eyes and a frown on her tiny mouth. “I tried to get him to ask earlier! Remember? Nobody else wanted to rush them anymore, but I wanted him to ask as soon as possible-”

“Because you knew he was leaving…” Stephanie finished. It’d just dawned on her that Ella _was_ the only one who, when planning out Sportacus’ date schedule for Robbie, wanted him to ask as soon as the schedule was done. Stephanie winced as she realized everybody should have just listened to her. 

“He doesn’t have everything packed. If we find Sportacus then maybe- maybe he can still tell him! My uncle might listen- just maybe! He’s so tired of packing, and if Sportacus just told him he’d listen- _I know it_. We have have to find Sportacus, and-”

“I think I know where he is! Come on!” 

Stephanie sprung forward and grabbed Ella’s hand, dragging her off into town. The two of them ran as fast as they could, knowing their time was limited. They’d have to run all the way to the outskirts of town, though, where Jives’ house was. It was at least another five minutes away. 

Honestly, Stephanie thought, they all should have seen it coming. The moving boxes. Robbie not talking to anybody. The fact that Glanni stopped trying to get the house down in the suburbs. The house being touched up and repainted- especially in Glanni’s preferences. 

Everything was so obvious. And yet it’d never occurred to any of them until Stephanie’s uncle had walked into their kitchen that morning. Said good morning and mentioned that she should say goodbye to Mr. Rotten because he was leaving. Sold his house to his brother and was trying to buy a house three hours away. Stephanie had cursed loudly- definitely not a word she was supposed to say at her age- before running off to see for herself. Now, Ella in tow, they had to get to Sportacus fast. 

On Jives’ front porch was Sportacus. He was kneeling in front of Stingy, who was sobbing into Jives’ shoulder and refused to say what was wrong. Stingy gasped for breath before resuming his crying, Jives and Sportacus uncertain on what to say or do. 

Stephanie practically threw herself up for porch steps and grabbed Sportacus’ arm, violently tugging him towards her. He yelped, surprised, but couldn’t say anything as she shouted-

“ _ROBBIE’S LEAVING!!_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhh I say I won't take long to update but then life comes and _kicks me in the goddamn ass_. But here it is, it's here finally! Honestly didn't think I'd have it uploaded for another three days, but I read through it a few times and thought it was pretty good. If not everything flows, then small apologies, but it should be back to it's normal style for the next update :) 
> 
> Ok but seriously, I know I say this every chapter, but thanks to all of you for any of your comments?? I love them, they make me smile, and- ah!! <3 Thank you! Ya'll are cuties and I appreciate everyone of ya'll.
> 
> Next chapter will be up in about a week (or two if life is an asshole). Hope ya'll are ready for it ;) 
> 
> So, thanks for reading, enjoy your day or night!


	23. Chapter Twenty-Two

It took a moment for Stephanie’s words to register in Sportacus’ brain. He floundered for a second, mind trying to make sense of the information while his ears rung. Everything seemed dull and far away, Stephanie’s voice muffled while Stingy cried harder. The violent feeling of movement forced a gasp out of him, Stephanie shaking his shoulders while practically shouting something indecipherable. 

“Steph- Stephanie! Calm down- what- what are you saying? I can’t understand you! Slow down!” 

“ _Sportacus!_ Robbie’s moving _today!_ He doesn’t have everything packed yet so that means you have to go tell him! Didn’t you want to tell him how you feel?!”

“Wait- wait- Robbie’s _moving?_ ” Sportacus asked, voice an octave higher. An overwhelming sense of disparity shot through his stomach. The information processing in his brain only heightened the onslaught of endorphins in his bloodstream. 

“When did this become a thing? The last time I talked to Glanni he said there was a lot of spring cleaning going on, and-”

“Sportacus, you do realize my dad went to jail for fraud _and_ for lying under oath?” Ella raised an eyebrow, giving the town hero a skeptical look. Sportacus flushed because no, he had not known that, and couldn’t pinpoint why he’d taken the former criminal’s word in the first place. 

“That doesn’t matter. Right now, you _need_ to go find Robbie!” Stephanie hissed. Both girls tugged Sportacus up, trying to push him down the steps. Alarmed, he spun out of their grasp and looked towards Stingy, who was still being comforted by Jives. 

“Dude, go! I got this handled. Besides, we did _not_ put all that time into work and planning for it to go wasted- and you’ve been waiting months for this, right yo? Go! Before it’s too late!” 

Sportacus, a bit hesitant, nodded. Jives had Stingy covered. The girls were tugging incessantly at his arm again, catching his attention. They got him down the porch stairs before he took off faster than they could keep up. 

Unlike them, he had a half-fae to stop- and if he was lucky, just maybe a date to go on. 

**\------**

The only reason Sportacus had broken out into a sweat halfway to Robbie’s was because of his own nerves. Trepidatious and anxious, shaky and uncertain. Yet, confident and determined. If he kept a calm head, all would be well...maybe. 

He landed a flip just outside Robbie’s driveway, where he could see half-fae man retreating from quickly into his house. Sportacus called his name but he walked faster. 

“Wait- Robbie!” 

He certainly wasn’t being helpful. Sportacus exhaled through his mouth and steadied himself before venturing into the purple house. Not too far into the living room stood Robbie, stiff and eyeing Sportacus warily as to _why_ the elf was in his living room. 

The interior of the house was mainly barren. A few boxes were still piled around, yet to be taken by the mover who was transporting them to the triplets’ house. Sportacus looked around in fearful awe, only meeting Robbie’s gaze once he’d given the room a once over. His firm frown didn’t deter Sportacus, who licked his parted lips anxiously as he took a step forward. 

“Robbie…”

“No, don’t Robbie me! I’m leaving and you can’t stop me.” 

“Wh- I haven’t even said anything yet!” Sportacus squeaked, offended. Robbie rolled his eyes before swiftly turning on his heels and heading into the kitchen. He might have winced but that might have been imagined. Regardless, Sportacus followed. 

“Besides, I have a few questions and I think I deserve answers!” 

“Deserve? What makes you think you deserve these answers?” Robbie sneered. There was a malicious tone that made Sportacus stop in his tracks, hurt. A flash of regret crossed Robbie’s features, only to be smothered a second later. He grabbed a small box and pushed past Sportacus and back out to the living room. 

“I- Robbie!” Sportacus whimpered. He spun on his heels and followed the lanky man again, tears pricking the backs of his eyes. 

It seemed Sportacus’ presence was finally getting to Robbie. Abruptly, he stopped his walking at the elf’s increasingly incoherent babbling. The sight of Sportacus flinching as he sharply spun around caught him off guard. He looked more than ready to start crying. Fuck, Robbie wasn’t prepared for that at all. His throat closed up and he suddenly felt too ready to just drop everything and _stop._ Not scream or yell, stop packing and moving. 

_Stop trying to leave._

Sadly, for Sportacus, Robbie coughed over his tightened throat and leaned almost threateningly over Sportacus. The elf whimpered over hardly suppressed tears, once more making Robbie stop. His facade faltered, eyes darting everywhere to avoid looking his crying friend in the eyes. 

“Just- just why are you trying so hard?! I’m leaving! I-I’m going! You can’t stop me!” 

“Then at least let me _talk_ to you!” Sportacus all but screamed back. Robbie reflexively stepped down and crossed his arms, feigning an apathetic attitude. 

“F-fine, then. What the fuck do you want?”

“I just want to talk to you! I mean, why are you leaving?” Sportacus ran a hand under his nose, sniffling loudly. The unshed tears were retreating. Robbie thought this good, thinking he could resume his stiff manner and get the conversation over with. 

“Because I needed out. Needed someplace new, someplace _far_ away from here.” 

Sportacus’ eyebrows furrowed, mouth parted. He sniffled again, not understanding his friend. “That- but why didn’t you tell anyone? We could have helped you- or sent you off! You could have talked with us! We’ll all miss you but that-” 

“Miss me?” Robbie couldn’t help but laugh, “Who’s going to miss _me?_ Nobody!” 

“Stingy is going to miss you! And Trixie, Pixel, Jives, Ziggy, and Stephanie! Hell, _I’m_ going to miss you!”

“You? Miss me? You’re leaving in a month! What’s the difference between me leaving now than after you’ve left? Either way, we’ll both be gone and it doesn’t matter!” 

“Yes it does!” Sportacus scoffed back, “You’ll be gone before I do and I’ll miss you and I’ll be sad and lonely and who will I talk to? I always talk to you! And I help you around the house and keep you company and- and- and-”

“How is that any different than if you leave in a month?! I’ll be in the same position, dumbass!” That shut Sportacus up. 

Robbie took a deep, deep breath and turned around. If he didn’t leave now, he’d stay. Hearing Sportacus talk to endearingly and desperately about their interactions and then stare at him so lovingly was too much. Hearing those words ( _I’ll miss you!_ ) pulled far too many heart strings than they should have. As did the whimper that Sportacus made when he tried to leave, making Robbie walk a little faster. 

“Would you _stop_ following me?!” 

“I’m not done! We’re still talking!” Sportacus stammered, grabbing Robbie’s arm and stopping him in front of the couch. 

Robbie whirled around and took his arm back, face dangerously close to Sportacus’ as he hissed, “And what makes you think we still have something to talk about?”

“Just- I have more questions, and it just doesn’t make sense. There’s no way you just wanted to up and go! You were so happy a week ago, and you can’t just sell and move out of your house in a week. You don’t even have a place to go! Why are you leaving, Robbie?” 

“That- that’s Classified!” 

“What?!” Sportacus almost laughed, unbelieving, “What do you mean, ‘Classified’?” 

“As in Classified, with a capital C. I’m not telling you.” 

“That’s not- hey!” Sportacus grabbed Robbie’s arm again mid-spin. Violently he snapped back, standing tall over the his friend. 

“Stop trying to stop me! This conversation’s over!” 

“Is not!” 

“Is too!”

“No it’s _not!_ Why are you leaving Robbie?!”

“I’m not telling you!” 

“Tell me!” 

“No!” 

"Just tell me, Robbie. Why are you leaving?” 

“I refuse to tell you.” Robbie hissed. 

Once more he tried to step away, this time by pushing past Sportacus, but was hindered. Frustrated, he swiveled around and just barely stopped himself from screaming unintelligible sounds. Whywhywhywhywhywhy _why_ wouldn’t Spotacus just let him go? He needed to _go,_ needed to _get out,_ needed to forget Lazytown and, most importantly, forget _Sportacus_ before his heart broke for good. Why wouldn’t he just let him _go?_

Sportacus gasped when Robbie seared his gaze back into him. God, if he’d ever seen a murderous expression, it was definitely that. Almost as though he was forced to, he took a step back and shrunk into himself. 

Robbie was yelling _a lot._ It scared Sportacus, eyes darting from object to object, only pausing on Robbie when he screamed something exceptionally loud or moved his arms around even more than he was already. The yelling and movement wasn’t helping, especially not from Robbie, and Sportacus could feel his heart rate pick up. 

Oh god, he was panicking, could feel the emotions choking him and silencing him through his heart’s thunderous roar in his ears. He couldn’t hear Robbie, couldn’t distinguish what in the hell he was yelling. All Sportacus knew was that he was screaming, then his crystal was suddenly shrieking at him, flashing and chirping and only adding to the chaos. Robbie screamed louder. Sportacus felt himself begin to pant, hyperventilate as the crystal _wailed_ when Robbie yelled at it. It was too much, far too much, overwhelming his system and Robbie wouldn’t stop screaming and moving and the noise needed to stop but it wouldn’t and then-

Then he was squatting down, hands over his ears, crystal thrown away, tears still streaming as Robbie yelled-

“ _I’M LEAVING BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!_ ”

The air finally cleared. 

It was silent, save for the harsh pants from Robbie and the whimpers of Sportacus. The elf was rocking on his heels, eyes screwed shut with his hands over his ears, murmuring something over and over again. Robbie, wheezing harshly, pressed his palms into his wet eyes and sunk onto the floor. He gasped through tears for a minute before grabbing his elf and holding him in his lap. Sportacus clung to him as if either were about to die. 

“Do you see why I have to go…?” Robbie whispered. Sportacus, a sniffling mess, looked up with red puffy eyes and sheepishly shook his head. 

“I...couldn’t hear you. Everything was loud and I was panicking and-......no, I don’t see why.” 

Robbie sighed, eyes closed again. He tipped his head up and swallowed thickly, felt his adam’s apple bob for a moment. His throat was tightening up again. Shit, he’d have to say it again, wouldn’t he? 

“I love you. A lot. Too much. You’re leaving, and it breaks my heart. So I’m leaving before it truly gets broken. I just love you too much.” 

Sportacus _stared_ at him. Jaw dropped and eyes too wide. Robbie grimaced and looked away, felt tears in his eyes once more. God, he was appalled, wasn’t he?

“Go on, laugh. I fell in love with my best friend. I fell in love with the town hero, and you’re leaving and I’m too dependent on you and it hurts. I’m so fucking stupid-” 

“You love me??”

“Wh- did you seriously not hear me? Yes! I do! Are you going to laugh at me? Because if-”

“You said you love me, and you’re holding me in your arms right now. And, if I’m allowed to say this, I _like_ this.” Sportacus smiled. There was a mischievous glint to his eyes that made Robbie sniffle his nose with caution. “Robbie~..”

“What?” He asked stiffly. Sportacus giggled, which Robbie wasn’t sure was a good or a bad sign. 

Suddenly, Robbie screamed as Sportacus tackled him onto his back. The doof was smiling down at him, laughing, foreheads pressed together. He didn’t have any time to yell at the elf before their lips were slammed together. 

_Everything_ shut down. 

Robbie felt his body go numb, lips tingling as his mind rebooted and went into autopilot. His eyes fluttered closed and his hand regained feeling, allowing for him to throw off that stupid blue hat and bury his fingers in sandy blond waves. Sportacus hummed in approval, lips pressing even more into Robbie’s, who had just decided that he very much liked kissing Sportacutie. 

They parted, two panting messes. Giant smiles adorned their faces, eyes bright and wide as they took in the beauty of their lover. Robbie laughed, bubbles of it rolling past his lips, a hand trying to cover his mouth as he stared in wonder at Sportacus. 

“Does this mean that…?”

“I love you! That’s what I was going to tell you last week!”

Robbie’s face fell, the hand previously on his mouth now cupping Sportacus’ cheek as he stared in horror. “Last Wednesday? Oh my Gods, Sportacus, I’m so so sorry-” 

“No! It- it’s okay! Because I told you and you feel the same way and ohmygods Robbie! _I love you!_ ” 

Sportacus bent down and covered Robbie with his lips again, laughing as his crush giggled again and again during their kiss. He reached up and undid Robbie’s hastily done pompadour, cackling as Robbie gasped, shocked yet playfully happy. A squeal was pushed past his lips as Robbie hastily reversed their positions, now effectively pinning his elf on the floor. Tiny nips and a scolding that lacked maliciousness was Sportacus’ punishment, who couldn’t stop giggling. 

“R-Robbie!” 

“That’s what you get for messing up my hair!” Sportacus laughed again, louder, and tried to turn his head away. Only Robbie wouldn’t have that, and again caught Sportacus in a kiss. 

Fuck, that sensation could easily become addicting. Hell, more than one kiss couldn’t hurt, right? 

They kissed again, multiple times, feeling their new addiction continuing to paramount. Sportacus sighed from his nose, hands coming up to unabashedly run through Robbie’s hair. It felt good, _really good,_ so Robbie let him continue. In return, Sportacus got a hand settled on a hip, the other arm wrapped around him and laying under his arched back. Their kiss got hotter and messier, more panting and an introduction of soft moans. 

Sportacus shivered under Robbie, his eyes screwed shut. Robbie nipped at his lip, drawing out a gasp, which only furthered into a light whine when Robbie ran a finger across the exposed skin at his hip. Sportacus’ blue shirt had ridden up, allowing Robbie to gaze upon his beautifully toned lower abdomen. Something so nice had to be illegal, but since it wasn’t there wasn’t any reason why not to enjoy it.

Oh _Gods,_ that was a feeling that Sportacus wouldn’t mind feeling more of. He arched a little more into Robbie’s hand, which had traveled only slightly farther under his shirt. Their eyes locked, seeing what felt the best to their partner. Robbie’s other hand unfurled under his shirt, too rubbing and appreciating his back muscles. Sportacus giggled his loving enjoyment, lip bitten. 

“Feels good..”

“Yeah?” Robbie stole another kiss, which Sportacus accepted with his head tipped back. More were littered down his neck. 

“M-m, yeah…” 

Looking down on Sportacus, smiling and gazing so loving up at him, caused Robbie to have a revelation. He chuckled, shaking his head. They argued like hell before having a giggly confession, then a make out session, which had led to them getting a little touchy. Neither were fully ‘there’ yet, but if this continued it wouldn’t be long.

“What are you laughing about?” 

“Us. Arguing. Kissing. Very handsy loving.” 

Sportacus grinned mirthfully, understanding what he meant. His eyes glistened playfully as he moved his hands down and gently tugged at Robbie’s light sweater. Robbie tugged back at his shirt, hands still splayed warmly over his back and stomach. They kissed again, deeply and passionately. It was hard not to returned for more, the smacks of their lips emanating around the room. 

“Robbie..”

“Sporta-”

“DEAR LORD GOD!”

“FUCKIN CHRIST! MY EYES!” 

Two shrieking teenagers stopped Sportacus and Robbie dead in their tracks. Almost violently, they clung to each other, the force of their movement tilting them onto their sides. Heads snapped up, trying to catch just who was screaming. It looked to be the retreating forms of Pixel and Jives, who stood in the entrance way rubbing their eyes. 

“I’ll never be able to see again…” Jives whimpered.

“Wh- what are you two doing _in my house?!_ ” Robbie squawked, a hand protectively trying to cover Sportacus’ blushing face. The elf frowned and looked past Robbie’s fingers, red ears twitching as he heard Pixel respond. 

“Your moving guy came back! We knew you were in here so we volunteered to go looking for you guys- but oh my God! Couldn’t you have gone up to Robbie’s room or something?!”

“A room would have been nice! Might have provided a little warning!” 

“This is _my_ house!” Robbie pointed out.

“Pixel, Jives- tell the guy we’ll be out in a minute! We’ll, uh...become decent, alright? Just go outside and we’ll be out soon.” 

“Alright, yo. Jesus...no amount of therapy will ever be able to get _that_ out of my brain….”

Robbie and Sportacus waited until Jives and Pixel left before uncurling a bit. They turned to each other, eyes rimmed red, lips puffy, cheeks a bashful shade of dark red. Sportacus started to laugh, which made Robbie laugh just as hard. Their foreheads brushed, legs tangled tighter together. Sportacus nuzzled under Robbie’s chin as he bubbled with remnants of his laughter, feeling buzzed on pure happiness. 

“Shit...I can’t believe that just happened..” 

“Well you better, because I think we just scared two teenage boys for life!” Sportacus said, causing Robbie to snort incredulously. It brought a smile to his face, head tilted up so he could catch a glance of his crush. 

“I can’t believe you feel the same way as I do.”

“You can’t believe? I can’t believe! You’re so beautiful and active- I thought it’d be impossible for you to love somebody to lazy and cynical as I am.”

Sportacus awed quietly, blue eyes softening at the words Robbie haughtily spoke. “You think I’m beautiful? Thank you- and I’ll have you know you’re every bit as gorgeous as an angel, Robbie Rotten. Incredibly smart and talented, clever and witty. You’re the one that stole my heart! I think you’ve had it for a while now…”

“How long?”

There was caution in his tone, still unbelieving. Sportacus purred, thinking all the way back to September. “About nine months? We were decorating the gymnasium for the class reunion, and I heard you laughing with a friend. My heart was yours in a second.” 

Robbie seemed to still beneath him. His cheeks heated up, remembering a few times where he and his ‘friend’ had laughed while decorating. Gods, that was so long ago. Although, it certainly wasn’t as long of a time as he’d had his crush on Sportacus…

“How long have you known for?”

“Well…” Robbie chewed his lip and tipped his head up, trying to look away, “Longer than nine months...I had it before my whole lung problems, which, by the way, are getting better. So….I think it came to fruition- Gods, this will sound cheesy- the night you saved me from the fire-”

“Robbie! That was so long ago!” Sportacus gasped, sitting up onto his elbows and turning to look at his crush. Robbie’s face grew to an even darker shade of red, eyes trying to avoid the seemingly twinkling stars that danced in his lover’s eyes. 

“W-well, I had it before that, but I knew I was doomed right then, so-”

“That’s so cute! Oh Gods, I’m sorry I made you wait any longer than when I fell for you.” Sportacus leaned down and nuzzled his cheek, smiling and pressing sweet chaste kisses over his jawline. Robbie sputtered indignantly, however not opposed to the small signs of affection. They’d kissed a lot already, hadn’t they? 

“Hey, save some for a date, Sportakiss. We don’t want to ruin the magic of it.” 

A light went off inside Sportacus’ head, eyes once again twinkling as he gasped. “Robbie! That reminds me of my other question from earlier!” 

Leaning on his elbows hadn’t seemed to be enough, leaving Robbie to squeak as Sportacus sat up completely and took Robbie’s hands in his own. He breathed out a shaky breath and determinedly gazed at his new lover. 

“Robbie Rotten, I’ve loved you for a very long time now, and I would like to know if you’d make me the happiest elf alive and accept a dinner date with me on Saturday night at six o’clock. We’ll have an exclusive dinner at-”

“I- Sport- yes! Oh my Gods, Sportacus, if you’ve just asked me that when you walked into my house I would have dropped everything immediately.” Robbie laughed as Sportacus preened, his hands coming up to grab his cheeks and lean their heads together. 

“Of course I’ll go on a date with you. Fuck, I’ll go on a hundred dates with you!” 

The concept of going on a hundred dates with Robbie Rotten, ultimate crush, stunned Sportacus. He laughed and rushed into another kiss, a deep purr rumbling in his chest. 

Robbie settled a hand on Sportacus’ torso as they steadied themselves. Something felt missing, however, and Robbie looked at his chest before tapping Sportacus’ crystal casing. “Where’s your crystal?”

“My crystal?...Oh!” His cheeks heated with a small blush, ears laid back slightly, “I was panicking when you were yelling, and then it started to beep because I was in trouble, and it was just so loud- so I kinda… threw it? I was panicking!” Sportacus tried to defend, pouting at Robbie’s look of concern. 

“Where is it now then?”

“I think on the couch. I threw it in that general direction.” 

Robbie sighed and pulled Sportacus back down onto the floor, cuddling him with a contented groan. “Well good, we can find it later then. I just want to spend some time with you.” 

“Does this mean you’re not leaving?” Sportacus asked. Robbie swore as he remembered the moving guy was outside waiting, a hand running down his face tiredly. 

“No, not right now. I’ll just- I’ll pay him for what he’s moved and explain something came up. Shit, I was so excited to properly spend time with you.” 

“Well, we can cuddle later..” Sportacus suggested. Robbie snorted as he stood up, “Among other things, sure.”

“Robbie!” Sportacus gasped, shocked yet intrigued at his implication. His grey-eyed devil only snickered, a hand offered to help him up. He took it, mouth quirked into a smirk, and held Robbie’s hand as they walked into the outside world. 

It was bright outside, and the air smelled clear for the first time all week. Construction had started strong a few weeks before, leaving the air dusty and dirty. Robbie stepped out for the first time all spring without his mask and breathed deeply, Sportacus close to his side as he grinned and took in the afternoon. They quickly made their way down to the driveway’s end, where the moving guy looked up from his phone and cheerily greeted his client. 

On the sidewalk outside the house, Pixel and Jives continued to mope about what they’d seen. Two grown men, moaning to each other lovingly. There wasn’t anything wrong with it, they’d just happened to walk in at the complete wrong time. They refused to tell the rest of the group about it, which just made them huff and argue more. The wait to see what happened and how the events played out had set everybody on nerve. 

“They’re holding hands!” Trixie hissed as the two men came out. Everybody crowded around her at the fence, trying to get a glimpse of their two practical dads. 

“They look so happy! And red!” Stephanie laughed, noticing the remains of their blushes. 

“Wait a second, did they-?” Stingy looked to Jives and Pixel in morbid curiosity, an eyebrow raised. When both boys nodded their heads reluctantly he cackled, head shaking. “Oh God! And you two walked in on it!”

“In on what?” Asked Ziggy.

“Nothing!” The rest of the group shouted too quickly. 

Ziggy pouted, knowing his age was the reason for the withhold of knowledge. He peered back over the fence, watching Robbie pay the man while Sportacus leaned on his shoulder. 

“Does this mean that they’re a thing now?” 

“Hopefully!” Ella said, smiling for the first time in a while. 

The moving guy stepped aside, waving his hand goodbye and hopping into his truck. Everybody looked back to where Sportacus and Robbie were practically tripping over each other to get inside, laughing and smiling all too brightly. The front door slammed behind them, leaving the group to whoop and high-five in celebration. 

“Dad! Dad!” Ella called, trying to get her father’s attention.

Glanni, currently, was preoccupied sunbathing on Robbie’s observation deck on top of the roof. He couldn’t hear his daughter’s yelling, which prompted Stingy to lean over and bang on the fence as he shouted his sort-of uncle’s name. 

“What, what?! I’m trying to sunbathe, Gumdrop!” 

“Robbie and Sportacus are a thing!” Stephanie called up.

Glanni paused, a smile stretching over his sinful lips. Robbie’s bedroom door slamming just a floor below him had the half-fae cackling, hollering, and dancing across the roof. He turned on some loud music and grabbed a bottle of wine, shaking it vigorously until the cork flew off, spewing wine everywhere He tipped the bottle back and chugged, still dancing and celebrating. 

“FUCKING FINALLY, BROTHER! FUCKING _FINALLY!_ ” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHOOO BOI! It's been a long trip! I said it would be a slow burn but I never meant for it to be THIS slow! I thought it was going to end probably about ten chapters ago, but knowing my writing of course it'd take an eternity longer. I have another work in progress- that hopefully won't take as long (probs only 2 chapters hahaha)- that I've had since the beginning of April. I'm excited to continue that one! 
> 
> Anyways, did you guys enjoy it? I know I cried a few times writing the confession scene! If you've noticed, there are still 2 more chapters. I plan on writing 2 epilogues- one of which is written fully. It may or may not come out at the end of the week. 
> 
> Throughout this entire fic I've been encouraged and enlightened by the wonderful comments I've received, so I want to give a special thanks to anyone who has ever left a nice comment. You've all made my day 100x better and I love you all <3 
> 
> Thank you all so, so much for reading! Have a wonderful day/night you wonderful people!


	24. Epilogue One

Why was it that loud noises were always annoying? Was it perhaps because they happened unexpectedly, or just because they were so loud? Either way, the last bell of the school day made Robbie’s shoulders hike up to his ears. Then came the flood of screaming and cheering children, all marching proudly down the school steps. The adults waiting outside cheered, too. Great, even more screaming. 

Of course, since Mr. nor Mrs. Spendthrift was there, Stingy ran up to Robbie and hugged him tight around the middle. Robbie grunted, a happy smile spreading across his lips. 

“Hey there, kid. Feel any different now that you’re done with elementary school?” 

“No.” Stingy wrinkled his nose slightly, “Just a little more dead inside, I guess.” 

Robbie barked with laughter, knowing Stingy said that just to get a rise out of him. It was obvious from the way his lips quirked into a smile. 

“Well congratulations, Stingy. You’re on your way to becoming a soulless adult just like the rest of your class.”

Stingy giggled slightly, then tugged softly on Robbie’s shirt sleeve. The adult raised an eyebrow, waiting. 

“Um… are you going to come to celebration down at Town Hall? They’re going to have speeches, food, games, music, a few slide shows, and we get to perform a song…” 

Robbie smirked down at his son and laid a hand on his shoulder, guiding him towards Town Hall wordlessly. Stingy looked up and grinned, a sudden pep in his step.

They followed the crowd of other newly-graduated fifth graders to Town Hall and settled down at a circular table in the reserved party room. There was six other unoccupied seats, five of which were filled by Robbie’s family. The sixth would hopefully arrive soon. 

**\------**

“When is your Boy Toy getting here again?” Glanni asked, blowing and popping a pink bubble with his gum. Robbie rolled his eyes and enjoyed a sip of his soda. 

“Soon. He had to...bring some people with him.” 

Glanni snorted and rolled his eyes. He knew very well who was arriving with hero number 10, and much preferred the nuisance stayed out of his town. Alas, he was sort of family now, and was trying with all of his might to suppress the urge to claw the nuisance’s face up the minute he showed up. 

Key word trying. 

“Stop that.” Ella flicked her father’s arm. Glanni pretended to be offended, failing to hide a smile at his daughter’s smirk while she bit into a bread roll. Bobby, Tobby, and Flobby snickered too. 

“I can’t wait until he gets back. You’ve just been moping around ever since he left.” Tobby teased, eyeing his older brother. Robbie turned pink and sputtered. He didn’t object however, which only proved Tobby’s point. 

“W-well it’s not my fault he had to leave! He had to go and make sure all the preparations were set, among other things. ‘S not his fault he had to give his family a ride, either. His father has _balloon,_ Tobby.” 

Bobby leveled Robbie with a look, which made him only turn another shade of pink. “Well that doesn’t mean he’ll be gone forever. You’ve been acting so moppy, but yes blame it on the old man and two old ladies who weren’t going to endure a balloon trip.” 

Flobby signed something teasing too, but at that point Robbie’d stopped paying attention to his brothers and started shoving food in his mouth. Stingy and Ella were giggling, and only laughed harder when he tried to fix them with a stern glare. 

Dare he say it, but he was losing his edge. 

“E-excuse me! Oh, this thing is so loud!” Milford sighed, bashfully standing at the front of the room in front of a microphone. Everybody stopped talking and quieted down politely. 

“Oh, thank you for being so quiet! Well, not that we’ve all eaten, and the slide shows have played out, there are games set up around town square and the sports field for everybody to enjoy. We’ll continue to play music- oh! And don’t forget, today at two o’clock we have a special performance that our newly-graduated fifth graders are going to perform. But please, until then have fun! The food will be open for any takers until it’s all gone. Have a wonderful time!” 

As soon as Milford dismissed them all the screaming began again. Both Glanni and Robbie grimaced as the youngest kids got out of their seats and ran for the exit, excited to go and play. Their parents followed, then the elementary schoolers, lastly the middle schoolers. There weren’t any high schoolers just yet, but that would inevitably be Pixel, Jives, and Ella within the next few years. Robbie got up and followed his niece and son out, leaning against a wall as he fondly watched them play. 

Two and a half years ago, almost three, Robbie would have never imaged his life to lead him to this afternoon. Happy, still some problems with his lungs (luckily, the construction had stopped for a few weeks, leaving him safe to go outside) but primarily- _eugh_ \- healthy. He had a loving family, a new son, and he was a semi-popular tailor throughout the town. He’d made so many summer dresses and play clothes within the span of a month, it was astonishing. Never would he have ever thought that he’d be leaving Lazytown soon, too, to go live with his boyfriend (something else he never would have imagined happening- his old enemy, no less!). 

Speaking of his boyfriend, Robbie perked up with a happy smile at the sight of a descending airship on the outskirts of Lazytown. The children noticed too and started to cheer, all far too happy to see their old town hero back. It was a shame he’d be leaving by the end of the weekend, though, and taking Miss Stephanie Meanswell with him, too. 

Unlike the insane horde of children, he wasn’t going to go run to his beloved. Robbie had more dignity than that. Also, he wasn’t in the mood to fight every single five year old in an attempt to get to his boyfriend first. Instead, he’d just wait where he was and lovingly greet him when he arrived. 

Which, obviously, wasn’t long. Maybe longer than Robbie would have initially thought, but he also had to remember that he was bringing his father, grandmother, and his great-aunt with him- two of which used something to help them walk. He sat patiently, and smirked when Sportacus 10 flipped into town square and was assaulted by children of all ages. 

“Haha, hello Nate, Susie! Yes, I see you, Andrea! Hello Lizzie!” Sportacus greeted, stooping down to hug and playfully wrestle with all of the kindergartners. They squealed and laughed, trying and successfully burying their town hero under their hugs and superior wrestling skills. Robbie huffed with soft laughter. 

“Ah- Stingy! Where’s-” 

“By the wall.” Stingy smirked, jerking his thumb in Robbie’s direction. Sportacus, still buried under children, picked his head up and dopily melted at the sight of his ever beautiful boyfriend. No amount of children would keep him from Robbie, which was why he promised more play time in a bit and effortlessly got up, children cascading off his back, and jogged over to the wall. 

They exchanged no words. Immediately, Sportacus grabbed Robbie and pulled him into a tight, tight hug, nuzzling and purring into his neck. The relaxing smell of Robbie’s cologne put his unease at bay, melting into Robbie’s strong yet bony arms. 

Robbie nuzzled the top of Sportacus’ head, selfishly slipping a hand under his hat and sifting through blond waves. Sportacus purred at that, making Robbie smile and steal their first kiss. Then the second, and third, and maybe even a fourth. They swayed together, foreheads touching and arms still wound around each other. 

“Hello Robbie…” 

“Sportarude.”

"Rude?! What’d I do?” Sportacus laughed. Robbie pretended to think some, humming before squeezing his boyfriend. 

“Leaving me alone for two whole weeks! I’ve missed you. A lot.” 

Sportacus just smiled, knowing Robbie was teasing. He leaned up and chastely kissed him, purring even deeper at the sensation. 

“I’m sorry, I had to go! The Council wanted to make sure I had a teacher’s ID, a room to privately teach Stephanie in, an idea of how my job will work, and Stephanie’s dorm room situated out. I also had to get used to the town and situate a place to live at, since it won’t be at the school.” 

Robbie hummed, deciding to keep swaying with his boyfriend. They should really part soon, else they look weird or insanely clingy. It was just hard to let go of Sportacus after intensely confessing his feelings, confessing again in a _far_ more touchy, bodily involved way, and then watching him leave so soon. It was two weeks into June, which was the same amount of time that Sportacus had been gone. He was here to introduce his family- those who were numbered heroes- to Stephanie and bring her up to the North at the end of the weekend. 

Robbie sighed and listened to his boyfriend ramble some more. 

“...and you wouldn’t believe how many magical folk are in the town Robbie! I think only forty-five percent are actual humans, but since they’re so far north they’re very accustomed to magic and non-humans. There’s even a small sugar-free ice cream joint and restaurant for elves! I can have ice cream and cake, Robbie!” 

“Eugh, nasty cake and ice cream!” Robbie grunted. Sportacus laughed again. He was the one to step away first, leaning against the wall as he stretched. 

“I got our living arrangements figured out, too.” 

“Oh?” Robbie hummed, leaning on the wall and looking down at Sportacus with a cocked eyebrow. His elf nodded and stared wistfully at the blue sky above them. 

“Uh-huh. We have a nice apartment- very nice. The Council is paying _very kindly_ for the first three years, then it’s about four hundred dollars a month from there on out. But!” Sportacus smiled at Robbie, “We have a living room, kitchen, bathroom, and two and a half bedrooms. There’s one big closet and one tiny one, and we have a small balcony. It’s very nice, and even though it’s in a complex it’s relatively quiet and peaceful. Stingy could even visit every other weekend if his parent’s allowed it!” 

Hearing that Stingy could in fact visit took a weight off of Robbie’s shoulders. He sagged against the wall and hummed his approval. When Sportacus said that it had fantastic wifi for video chats Robbie practically died on the spot. 

“Jesus Christ, Sportacus, you’re buttering me up here! The apartment sounds wonderful, and I’m very happy to start living with you. Glanni and the boys said they could help move any furniture that doesn’t fit in the airship cargo bay. It’d be a seven hour drive for them, but they said they were willing…” 

“That sounds amazing.” 

Despite his boyfriend’s happy words, Robbie could see the anxiety he was trying to hide. He sighed and cupped Sportacus’ cheek, looking him in the eye seriously.

“Hey, Sportacute. What’s wrong?”

Sportacus fidgeted for a second, surprised he was caught, before giving up. He looked away and murmured, “It’s just- we’ve only started dating and we’re already moving in with each other. Isn’t that...considered weird in human dating customs? I mean, it’s not _that_ weird in elven culture, but-” 

“Sportacus.” Robbie said, voice low and soothing. “It’s alright. Maybe some people will think it’s weird, but you know we already discussed this. Neither of our families care and we’re happy with it. Besides, we both know a long distance relationship wouldn’t work. This was the easiest conclusion, and I am _more_ than happy to wake up to your beautiful face every morning.” 

Robbie’s words made Sportacus giggle, eyes crinkled in the corners. He nodded and turned more towards Robbie, taking his hand slowly. 

“Yes, you’re right. I know. We did talk, but I just couldn’t help but worry. Thank you, Robbie.” He stole a kiss, sighing contentedly.

Sportacus looked over his shoulder at the sound of sudden laughter. Ah, there was his Pabbi, giving piggy back rides and playing tag with the kids and teenagers. His Amma and Great-aunt Seven sat on the sideline, talking with anybody who was willing to strike up a conversation. He spotted the way Robbie shifted uncomfortably and squeezed his hand soothingly. 

“Don’t worry, you’re only meeting them. Nobody else.” 

“Well yeah, but you also mentioned that you have almost _thirty_ cousins, Sport. And that’s only your first cousins! I’ll have to meet them eventually.” Robbie wheezed, anxiety skyrocketing at the mere thought of meeting the entirety of Sportacus’ ginormous elf family. 

Luckily for him, Sportacus was very understanding and immediately held Robbie in his arms. His boyfriend relaxed, even if only slightly. Soft whispers and lulling back rubs helped to calm Robbie down too. 

“Hey, hey. It’s alright, Robbie. You don’t have to meet everybody- sometimes I don’t even remember all of my family! There’s no pressure. If they met you, they’d all love you. Right now it’s only my Pabbi, my Amma, and my Great-aunt Seven. You’ve met two of them before!” 

“Yeah, one I haven’t seen in almost forty years and another who my brother tried to kill numerous times.” Sportacus cringed at that one, knowing he was right, but didn’t stop comforting him. 

“You’re right, but everything will be okay. Come on, let’s just go get this over with and then we can all have dinner later. We can worry about Glanni not bashing in my father’s face then too, alright?” 

Robbie nodded. He had a moment to compose himself before Sportacus slowly moved them over to where his father and family were having a warm conversation with Stephanie. She’d be the next hero in their family line and, from the looks of it, had already been welcomed as one of their own. 

“Is everything going well over here?” Sportacus asked, grinning brightly. 

Stephanie laughed from on top of Íþróttaálfurinn’s shoulders, nodding down at her soon to be mentor. “I love your family Sportacus! They’re so nice!” 

“Oh, your family now, dear! You’re more than welcome to be a member of our family.” Amma tutted, slyly grinning at Stephanie. Sportacus laughed and helped his student down, ruffling her hair appreciatively. 

“So everything is well then?” 

“Absolutely! You’ve got a bright young girl there, son. You said her uncle is her guardian?”

“Yup! My Uncle Milford is the town mayor. Sportacus said we’ll have dinner with him tomorrow night.” Stephanie said. She was bouncing on the balls of her heels excitedly, all too ready to become a hero. 

“We will be! But I have some adult matters to discuss, Stephanie. Why don’t you go play with the kids with Ella and Jives? I’m sure they would appreciate it.” 

“Oh, alright Sportacus. Goodbye!” Stephanie gave her new family members hugs before racing off into the sports field to go dance and play. Sportacus took a deep breath and stepped closer to his father. 

“Alright, I have somebody very important I’d like for all of you to meet.” 

“Oh?” Asked Great-aunt Seven, sitting farther forward on the bench she sat upon. Amma sat straighter too, intrigued with her sister. 

“Yes, I do. He is very important to me and he’s very nervous. I know… you all had to make an adjustment a long time ago when I came out as demipansexual, but I’m very glad that the adjustment was made and that he’ll be met with open arms.” 

His family nodded supportingly, which put a hundred fears in Sportacus’ heart to rest. Carefully, he turned around and walked to where Robbie was. He’d stayed quite a few feet back, too nervous to come forward. Sportacus took his hand and gently guided him back to his family.

“Robin?” Íþróttaálfurinn asked, only slightly surprised. Amma sat forward almost immediately, eyeing this ‘Robin’ up. 

“Uh-huh. This is my boyfriend, Robin Rotten, but everybody calls him Robbie.” He looked up at Robbie, smiling encouragingly. Robbie didn’t have to say hello, but it was reassuring to hear him murmur it and wave tinily. 

“Robbie!” Amma cheered, standing up with the help of her cane and wobbling over to him. Robbie couldn’t help the laugh or smile that escaped him, letting his old hero Number 8 take his hands and gush over him. 

“You look so well, Robin! Oh, you’ve still got those grey eyes, and my! Your hands are still as calloused as ever. You look every bit as a Rotten as I remember- almost a spitting image of your father and grandfather! How are you feeling, dear? Good, I hope?” 

Robbie nodded his head, a shy yet happy smile stretched on his lips. “I- yes, I’m very happy. Your grandson has been very good to me, and I’ve been the happiest I’ve been in a long time.” 

“Oh good, very good! That’s wonderful to hear dear-” 

“Wait, are you telling me that this is the Robin that you always were with? The one who made the wooden race car that Sportacus never put down?” 

Sportacus lit up light a light bulb. Somehow he never made the connection between the mysterious Robin who made a race car for his grandmother and his current boyfriend. 

The car in question was an old, small wooden creation that Robbie had made when he was seven years old for Boy Scouts. It was teal, Sportacus 8’s colors, with a dark blue eight on the top, hood, and trunk of the car. On the sides were hastily done initials of somebody with first and last names starting with R, obviously done by a child. It’d won first place in a soapbox derby and was a gift from Robin to Sportacus 8, who gave it to Sportacus so it would get played with and wouldn’t get lost. For years Sportacus played with it and used it when he was anxious or nervous. 

“You made the race car?! I loved that thing when I was little!” Sportacus gasped, hugging Robbie and looking up at him with stars in his eyes. 

“Yup, he’s the very one, Aunt Seven! Robbie is very creative and good with his hands. He made the car when he was very young.” Íþró praised.

Robbie chuckled shyly, nodding slowly in response to his boyfriend. “I- yeah, I made it for a boy scout thing. You...you loved it?” 

“I played with it all the time! I took it with me everywhere, it’s a miracle I never lost it! Gods, I think I love you even more now.” Sportacus laughed, hugging Robbie tight. 

Amma smirked from behind her glasses, leaning on her cane knowingly. “See, Sportacus? Had you just courted him when I told you to you would have known sooner!” 

“Mamma, please! Just be grateful they’re together now.” Íþró tutted. Amma just cackled and returned to her place on the bench. 

“So he’s okay, you’re not going to try and fight him like you did my last boyfriend?” Sportacus asked, eyeing his father both hopefully and wearily. Robbie paled at the word ‘fight’ in the same sentence as ‘boyfriend.’

“Hahaha! No, I know he’s good. Besides, that last one was sketchy, and I was worried! That was years ago, son. Robbie is very much welcomed into the family!” 

Sportacus bit his lip in excitement. Finally, finally! By elven terms, he and Robbie were officially dating now that his family had welcomed him. Íþró stood with his arms crossed, giving Robbie a thumbs up. Of course his Amma had accepted him, and even if Great-aunt Seven didn’t say anything, he knew she liked him. She was a reserved character, but from the glint in her eyes Sportacus knew she didn’t have any objections. 

Robbie was visibly relieved at Sportacus’ side. He was blushing and smiling, no longer trying to stand as straight as possible, and instead slouching just like he always did. Sportacus took his hands and hugged him again, gifting him a few kisses to his jawline and cheek. 

“See? I told you they’d accept you.” 

“Shut up, Sportakook.” Robbie snorted, hugging his boyfriend back and stealing a full on mouth kiss. They both smiled when Sportacus’ family roared with appraisal from behind them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue One done!! One more to go!! Oh God, I've been writing this for like six or seven months now ya'll, I don't know how I'll deal once I'm done with this!! I'm going to miss working and molding these characters just so. But I still have one more chapter to go, and it's super fucking cute, so no good byes just yet. We'll hold strong.
> 
> I got so many amazing comments last chapter, thank you all so much!! All of you, every single one of you, are amazing and you're blessed people and I love you!! <3 
> 
> With all of that said, thank you all for reading and have a wonderful day/night! :) 
> 
> (p.s.- Yes, I know (now) that Spendthrift isn't Stingy's last name, but when I was first trying to research this I couldn't find 'Spoilero' for some reason. Like, it wasn't coming up, and something else I'd seen or read had his last name as Spendthrift, so I guess I kinda just went with it. I kept it for the sake of continuity now that we're almost done here.  
> p.p.s.- the family welcoming Robbie in and making Sport and Rob's relationship is made up I don't know elven customs lmao sorry)


	25. Epilogue Two

“Settle down, settle down- I said to settle the fuck down!” Glanni said, pounding a fist on the table. The laughing around him died down, his family smiling fondly at him. 

“Much fucking better. I’m just trying to make a speech here, Gumdrop!” He pouted at Robbie, who eyed him suspiciously. “Stop looking at me like that. I’m trying to give a speech.” 

“I’m sure it’ll be _lovely._ ”

“Stop using sarcasm. Okay, okay! I’m starting!” 

Sportacus, across the table from Robbie, grinned all too brightly and leaned forward to capture his boyfriend’s hand. Tonight was a big night, so big in fact that Glanni, Ella, Stingy, and the triplets drove up to celebrate for the weekend. Both men were touched that their family came, and Sportacus found it just as endearing that Glanni was trying to give a speech. 

“Six long ass years ago, I told my brother to fucking tap that elf ass.” Glanni ignored Stingy choking on their drink. Tobby held his head in his hands while Bobby started laughing into Flobby’s shoulder. 

“ _Ahem._ Anyways, yes- I told him to make a move, but in the end he decided not to. Then I was fucking stupid and said ‘why don’t you just move away?’ because of course I shouldn’t dare suggest they have a long distance relationship.” Glanni rolled his eyes while the rest of the table chuckled, “ _No,_ such a suggestion was bad. But try to move away my brother did- and thank the fucking Gods in the goddamn sky- but Sportacus decided to make the first move. I think they argued-”

“We did.” Sportacus and Robbie answered at the same time. 

“Of course you two did. Then you two made out, from the story Pixel and Jives told me!” 

“They were scarred for like, two months.” Stingy laughed. Ella giggled next to him. 

“Yeah, Jives refused to step foot into our house for an additional three months.” 

Robbie scoffed, “We didn’t scar them _that_ badly.”

“Well…” Sportacus laughed, “We were kinda going at it…”

“We weren’t even naked!” Robbie flushed when he realized how loudly he said it, in a restaurant no less. The triplets snorted and giggled. 

“You were _later_ though. I distinctly remember moving Ella to sleep on the couch because of how loud you guys were.” Glanni clucked his tongue, grinning slyly when both Sportacus and Robbie grew red in the face. Tobby was laughing so hard his monarch butterfly wings were shuddering, causing him to lean forward onto the table and even more onto Bobby.

“Wait a second- I was giving a speech here! Everybody shut the hell up!” Glanni growled. When the laughter quieted back down he smiled and continued, “As I was saying! They argued and made out and then _definitely_ had sex. The next day they went on a date, and within a month they were moving away to live together. The rest, I believe, is history.” 

The table delved into a soft round of clapping. Glanni held his head high, wings proudly shuttering behind him. As ‘formal’ as that speech was, Robbie had to say he was touched. 

Everything he spoke of was true. Robbie couldn’t remember the countless times Glanni had at first teased him about hooking up with Sportacus- after the initial shock, of course. For a while Glanni had hated the elf. But then he’d chilled out, back to his too mischievous self as he flirted with Sportacus to make Robbie jealous. 

Afterwards, when Sportacus announced he was leaving, Robbie remembered feeling heartbroken and desperate. He didn’t have the courage to tell Sportacus how he felt, and didn’t want to stay in Lazytown after he left. Glanni was the one to suggest he move. 

In all honesty, it wasn’t a surprise that he took Glanni up on the idea. Over the course of a month or two he found a house hours away and proceeded to pack himself up. On the last day in Lazytown- or what was supposed to be his last day- Sportacus had burst into his house and argued with him about leaving. 

Robbie’d gotten mad- very mad if he remembered correctly. He’d screamed and shouted and then said he was leaving because he loved his stupidly brilliant best friend. Surprisingly, Sportacus felt the same way. It certainly wasn’t a lie they made out and had sex afterwards. 

Their date was memorable. It was too wonderful not to have been. Robbie remembered he fussily dug through his moving boxes to get the outfit he wanted. When Sportacus had first arrived to get him at seven in the evening he wasn’t ready. It took him another thirty minutes to get his makeup and hair done. 

Sportacus, being great friends with Chef Pablo Fantastico, had managed to get the lakeside restaurant free for the evening. He’d pulled a lot of strings just to get an evening alone with his new boyfriend. He’d decorated the place with star and space decorations, since he knew of Robbie’s secret love for space, (hence the observation deck on top of his house) and set candles all over the place. By the time they’d finished dinner it was dark out and they were cuddled on the beach, deciding to skip going ice skating in favor of staring at the stars. 

Robbie, to say the very least, was flattered. It was the best date he had ever been on and loved every second of it. He was also amused by Sportacus’ not so subtle hint-taking from Pablo during dinner, who offered winks and whispers of encouragement every time he brought them food or checked up on them. 

After their fantastic date, they agreed to wanting a relationship. They’d talked about long-distance but decided against it. Sportacus had to leave in the beginning of June, but came back to pick up Stephanie and Robbie. Since then, now living in a northern town six hours away, Robbie had to admit he was the happiest he’d ever been. Six wonderful years with his current boyfriend, who loved him unconditionally. 

“Robbie?” Sportacus asked, squeezing his hand. The half-fae man snapped out of his reverie and smiled reassuringly at his elf. 

“I’m fine, don’t worry. Just thinking.” 

“Alright, Robbie. I was just concerned.” 

“Don’t be.” His soft scowl disappeared when Sportacus raised an eyebrow, “I was thinking about the last six years is all. Glanni’s speech made me a little emotional.” 

“Emotional? I don’t see you crying!” Glanni huffed. Ella punched his arm. The table ignored his whined, “ _Owww!_ ”

“You don’t have to be an overdramatic former-criminal who cries at every important milestone to be considered emotional, Glanni.” Tobby teased. Glanni snaped upright and stared down his cocky brother, the two winged faes’ wings open behind them. 

“Stop it!” Bobby hissed. The siblings settled down, but not without the rest of the table snickering. 

Thankfully, their ordered meals arrived then. They had to figure out who had what meal again, but eventually everybody had their respective dishes and were dying to eat. 

“Wait! Before we eat, I propose a toast. To six wonderful years of relationship between my baby brother and his boyfriend! And for many more wonderful years!” Glanni winked at Robbie as he raised his glass. Robbie rolled his eyes and raised his own, smiling a little when everyone clinked together their drinks. 

Dinner went by well enough, Robbie supposed. There was the occasional conversation, people catching up with one another. That was to be expected when everybody lived separately, some more so than others. 

Ella mentioned how she, Pixel, and Jives had just finished high school. Stingy had taken up Robbie’s passion of sewing and was becoming popular for their skirts and dresses. Bobby, Tobby, and Flobby were movers now, and respected ones at that. They’d done many odd jobs in their lives, but this was the one that had truly stuck. Glanni had paid off his community service hours long ago, leaving him with much free time. Currently, he was involved with politics in Lazytown in a part-time job. There was talk he was going to run for mayor now that Milford was retiring soon, but Glanni had yet to confirm anything. Robbie was a tailor for a very small handmade clothes shop. Sportacus was still a teacher, and had maybe two more years to go before Stephanie completed all of her requirements. Stephanie, who wasn’t present for dinner but would be arriving for desert, was ahead in her class and ranked number one. Nobody could match her enthusiasm or love for heroism. 

A waitress come over not long after everybody finished their dinner. Stingy and Bobby needed take-out boxes, but other than that they were all ready for dessert. 

Sportacus breathed deeply and smiled determinedly at his boyfriend. He reached over and reclaimed his hand, jarring Robbie from his thoughts. There was a fire in his gut and doubts in his head, but he’d asked Robbie Rotten out once six years ago. His could do _this_ now. 

“What? Is something wrong?” Robbie asked, brows furrowed in concern. 

“No, but I have to tell you something. I’ve...done something special for tonight, and already have our desserts ordered. There might be a card that comes along with it- don’t be afraid to do what it says.” 

Robbie squinted. That wasn’t reassuring. But Sportacus’ bright smile and the soothing feeling of his hand made him nod. 

“Fine. It’s nothing dangerous though, is it?”

“No, not at all. I just don’t want you to be nervous.”

“Well I already am, but I trust you.” 

Sportacus grinned, heart melting a little. “I know you are. I love you.” 

“I love you too-”

“ _Bleh!_ Excuse you!” Glanni huffed. It took both Bobby and Flobby to keep Tobby from fighting their older brother. 

“Let them have their moment! It is their _big night._ We couldn’t celebrate the special five-year anniversary last year because we were all busy. Leave them be!” 

“Well, I know that! I’m just trying to figure out what I want for dessert and they’re being all lovey dovey-”

“Guys, guys!” Sportacus laughed, “It’s alright! We’re just happy you’re all here. How about we all order, that way we can go back to the apartment and have our movie marathon?” 

Nobody had any qualms there. Glanni went back to seriously considering his dessert selection while Ella and Stingy decided to split a hot fudge sundae. They were doing it to make Stingy’s boyfriend- Jives- jealous back in Lazytown. The triplets were getting their own assortment of cake, and in the end Glanni chose to have a molten chocolate lava cake. 

Stephanie ran in minutes before their confections arrived. She calmly walked through the aisles, but couldn’t resist a squeal of excitement when she found her family.

“Hey guys!” 

Stingy and Ella practically climbed over Sportacus to greet her. They had a tight hug, swaying and laughing. The boys and Glanni greeted her smoothly as the three of them slid back into the booth. Sportacus, who’d moved to let them sit back own, gave her a tight one-armed hug and gave an affectionate squeeze. 

“Do you want dessert?” He asked. 

“Oh, sure! I haven’t treated myself in a while. What is there?” 

Robbie flagged down a waitress and got her a menu. She decided to have a banana split right off the bat. Their desserts would take a little longer to arrive, the waitress had warned, but nobody minded. 

“Hey Robbie! I haven’t seen you in a while.” Stephanie smiled. 

“Hello, Pink Girl. You’ve been too busy with hero-ing to come and see me for lunch.” This got her to laugh, and spread a warm smile across her face. 

“I’m almost done though! You have to excuse me for that. Besides, I hear you’ve got an exciting evening planned ahead of you!” She looked over at Sportacus and grinned. When he blushed Robbie knew he’d told her. 

“Well, so I’ve been told. I have no idea though. If _you_ say it’s exciting, Miss Pink Blob of Enthusiasm, then it must be amazing.” Robbie smirked as Stephanie laughed, Sportacus another shade of red beside her. 

“Speaking of exciting nights,” Glanni sat straighter and grinned, “I think our waitress is back with the desserts. Come to me, my lava cake heaven!” 

Glanni was right, seeing as the waitress was walking down the aisle with two trays full of deserts. Another waitress followed behind her, the two of them grinning far too much. Robbie squinted at the weird tray the second waitress held. 

All the dishes got passed out, except for whatever it was that Sportacus had ordered for Robbie. His boyfriend bit his lip and smiled, obviously too nervous. Something fishy was up, Robbie decided, when everyone got their phones out and casually set them on the table. 

Sportacus felt the all too familiar pit of nervousness in his stomach. Tonight was the night. _The night._ Literal moments away from the biggest decision of his entire life. It all revolved around the tray the second waitress held, waiting patiently to set in front of Robbie. Sportacus felt Stephanie take his hand and squeeze it, her eyes bright and inspiring when he looked over. 

“This one is for you, sir!” The waitress giggled. She gracefully took off the metal cover and revealed the mystery dessert. Both staff left, leaving Robbie to stare dumbfound at a purple and blue cupcake with a card next to it. 

“Sport…” Robbie started. Sportacus encouraged him to read the card and go along with it. 

' _Robbie, open me!_ ’ The front read, in what was obviously Sportacus’ handwriting. Cautiously, Robbie opened it up. He gave another brief glance at his boyfriend before reading the inside. 

‘ _Take a bite out of your cupcake! If something seems wrong, ask me truth or dare!_ ’

 _That_ guaranteed a squint at his boyfriend. Sportacus just smiled and sat patiently, although his foot had audibly started to tap against the floor and he fidgeted against Stephanie. Robbie frowned and picked up the cupcake. 

Even if this was weird, at least the cupcake was _delicious._ Robbie gasped at the flavor, tasting the amazing sugar frosting and chocolate cupcake. It was so good that he decided to take another bite-

Then spit it out.

Glanni was disgusted by the action but was shushed by Ella and Stingy. Everybody had their phones up, but Robbie ignored them and carefully transferred the barely bitten bite from his hand to the plate. There was something _inside_ it, barely visible. He took a napkin and picked the object up. 

Robbie felt his heart stop once he cleaned it off. He looked to his boyfriend, words stuck in his throat. There was no way he’d bought that- it looked _far_ too expensive….

“Sportacus 10, truth or dare, _right now._ ” 

Sportacus laughed despite Robbie’s stern and confused almost-whimper. His nerves had been eating him inside out since the plate had set down and Robbie had given him his first cautious look. But he could do it! His speech had been memorized, burned into the back of his brain from practicing it over and over again. He could do it, even if he was trembling and afraid.

“Truth, Robbie.” 

“Why is there a ring in my cupcake?” He whispered, too shocked to speak in a higher volume. 

“Well..Robbie, there’s something I need to tell you.” Sportacus stood up and walked over, taking his boyfriend’s hand in his own. He reached for the cleaned ring and held it, looking at Robbie as he spoke. 

“I love you. Three simple words don’t describe how much you mean to me- not really. Actions show you care, and I’m better at _doing_ something than saying it. 

“But I have to say that these last six years have been the best of my life. _The best!_ I’ve never been happier! I love waking up to you every morning, and seeing you for lunch, or cooking with you for dinner. I love every single little quirk about you, and how you roll your eyes when I say something corny or when you kiss me to shut me up. I love cuddling with you and making you laugh and see your sparkling eyes. I love… everything about you, really.

“I...I want to continue feeling that, feeling this- this _thing_ that we have. But I want to make it stronger, I want to take it to the next level. Because _I love you._ So Robbie Rotten,” Sportacus held up the ring as he went down onto one knee, “Will you make me the happiest elf in the world and marry me?” 

The restaurant seemed to stop breathing. There were only two other families there, but their attention was on them. The staff were peaking out of the kitchen doors. No one seemed to breathe. 

Robbie _stared_ down at Sportacus. His boyfriend, his beautiful wonderful boyfriend had just…. _proposed!_ He wanted to take it to another level. Robbie felt like he’d been blind sighted. He hadn’t even expected such a move, but Sportacus was probably aiming for such a thing. 

__There were cameras pointed on him and Robbie was_ aware_ of it. He was still ignoring them, only because he was anxious now, especially since he was blushing like hell and was close to tears. His mouth opened and closed, tongue trying to work to form words but not quite achieving it. 

Sportacus began to fidget again. He’d gone still once he had kneeled. His white teeth started to bite his lip, kneeled leg shaking. Doubts began to form in his mind, causing his smile to falter. 

“I-..Robbie?” Sportacus felt himself flush, mind overworking. He’d fucked up, he’d asked too much-

“Sportacus- fucking- _yes!_ ”

“Yes?” Sportacus smiled in relief, “You-”

“I’ll marry you, yes, oh my god!” Robbie wasted to time in grabbing his boyfriend and pulling him up for a passionate kiss. Their family cheered from behind them, the staff and strangers clapping. Robbie just kissed Sportacus harder. 

“I love you, _I love you,_ ” Sportacus sobbed. There were tears suddenly. He wasn’t sure when he started crying, but he’d probably started around the same time Robbie started.

It took them minutes to calm down. By then their family had stopped filming and taking pictures, instead choosing to watch as they enjoyed their desserts. Robbie hefted Sportacus into his lap and surveyed his family. 

“You all knew he was going to do this, didn’t you?” His voice was thick yet still managed to hold his teasing tone. The boys, Ella, and Stephanie just smiled, Stingy looked smug, and Glanni looked down right dirty. 

“Of course Cupcake! He asked us all for permission, of course. In fact, once we knew he was going to, we decided to come watch.” 

“Dad _wanted_ to spy on you guys, since it was just going to be you and Sportacus. But Uncle Flobby mentioned we’d get caught immediately, so we worked it out so it was a family thing.” Ella explained. 

“Sportacus weaseled me in last second,” Stephanie said with a giggle. 

Robbie just nodded, suddenly too socially exhausted to speak very much. He leaned his head on Sportacus’ shoulder, smiling as his family talked. Sportacus was content in his lap, leaning his head on Robbie’s. 

“Well congratulations, Robbie,” Glanni voiced with sincerity. “Although, if you’re done with that cupcake….” 

Robbie smacked away his elder sibling’s hand without a second thought. He pulled his plate away, “No, fuck off! This is my engagement cupcake- eat your freaking lava cake!” 

“I already did!” Glanni pouted. 

“Here, eat the rest of my cake. I’m full.” Bobby said, sliding his cake over. Glanni took it without complaint. 

Sportacus purred against Robbie. His wonderfully amazing _fiancé._ A thought jarred him back to reality, prompting him to steal Robbie’s hand. 

“Hey, what are you- oh, yeah, we forgot about that.” Robbie laughed as Sportacus slid the ring onto his finger. He leaned down and kissed his elf seconds after, hands intertwined. 

“I’m going to be self conscious about the feeling of the ring.” Robbie murmured. Sportacus giggled, which sounded a little weird thanks to his purr. 

They finished off dinner with feeding each other a free dessert that the restaurant had given them. It was a sugar-free white cake with wedding decorations. It read congratulations across the top in red letters, which Robbie ate first. Sportacus ate the bread part of the cake mostly, not fond of the taste of the icing. They both had frosting smeared onto their noses by the time it was done, the two of them laughing, kissing, and smiling. 

Glanni snuck a picture, which would be the couple’s favorite memento of their evening. 

**\------**

Robbie had never seen so many people packed so tightly together into a space before. As he’d known as tradition, it was separated by family sides, and he could visibly see where his small family were seated. On the other hand, he could _definitely_ tell where Sportacus’ ginormous family were at. It was kind of hard to not spot the overcrowded area where they were concentrated. 

“Are you ready?”

Glanni’s voice caused Robbie to jump, suddenly backing away from the door he was peaking out of. His brother only smiled and laid a hand of the small of his back, guiding him forward again. 

“It’s your big day, Gumdrop. Your Boytoy is waiting for you. How about we get this thing rolling, yeah? I heard that Sportacus’ giant family wants to celebrate for like three fucking days. As big as I am on parties, even I can’t handle one for _that_ long.” 

A bubble of laughter escaped Robbie, “Yeah? How do you think I feel? It is my wedding they want to celebrate, and want me there _every day._ ” 

Glanni just made a sound of discomfort. They were quiet for a moment, unusual for the two normally-bickering siblings, but Robbie reveled in that Glanni was letting him take his time. 

“Well...we better get it over with.”

His brother just grinned, somehow pristine white teeth shining, as he pushed open the door leading to their outside alter. Robbie practically clung to him as they walked down the aisle, not paying attention to anything that was happening. 

Robbie spotted Sportacus, standing proudly on the slightly heightened platform. Sport wore the black tux he’d had complimented him in, which only furthered his own blush. It was illegal how good his fiancé looked in it. 

Suddenly he was standing in front of the alter, Sportacus by his side. Robbie could barely understand the wedding officiant, so he ignored him too in favor of paying attention to the feeling of Sportacus holding his hand. Were they allowed to even hold hands? Robbie didn’t know and frankly didn’t care either, making sure to spitefully squeeze Sport’s hand at the thought. 

It was reassuring to be in Sportacus’ presence. He’d barely seen the man since the beginning of the week. It started off with them going to Lazytown to pick up some of their guests, which consisted of Robbie’s family, Pixel, Trixie, Ziggy, Jives, and Stingy. They invited Milford and Bessie to come too. Robbie remembered Sportacus had a conversation with the new town hero, Number 40 of a different hero line. They were from an old elven family heritage and had been given control of Lazytown. Little Nate, Susie, Lizzie, and Andrea had all grown almost seven years, leaving them to enthusiastically wave goodbye to their once town hero. There was a stop to MayhemTown to pick up the triplets and Pablo, who was also invited. 

After MayhemTown, Sportacus had flown his airship all the way to his home village in the far North. From there, everyone was given a place to stay. In a flurry to meet all of Sportacus’ family, eighty percent of whom Robbie couldn’t remember, he’d spent the rest of the week in their company. He hadn’t seen Sportacus since Thursday night in an attempt to keep the familiar human tradition of not seeing his husband twenty-four hours before the wedding. The time away from his fiancé had stressed him out to no end. Just being beside him was a relief. 

They’d practiced the ceremony almost twenty times. Robbie fidgeted and shook with nerves anyways, knowing everyone's eyes were on him. Sportacus squeezed his hand, eyes glancing over. He was just as anxious. 

The wedding officiator had moved on. Robbie could still barely understand him. Suddenly he was asked the big question, leaving him to internally panic. 

“...Robin, do you take Tryggvi to be your husband?”

Robbie blinked at the usage of Sportacus’ real name, seeing as neither of them used it too much. It was reserved for passionate moments or teasing. 

“I- yes- I do.” 

Everything faded back to Internal Panic Land. Sportacus rubbed his thumb soothingly into Robbie’s wrist, bringing the panic down a notch or two. Robbie was aware that Sportacus had said ‘I do.’ As predicted, he wasn’t in much of a state to read his vows, and was thankful that their officiator read them for him. 

One of Sportacus’ young third cousins, Sigurður, brought their rings up on a pillow. Robbie felt his breath hitched when Sportacus picked it up and carefully pushed it onto his finger. The metal was cool and new, taking up most of his attention. 

With a shaking hand, Robbie picked up Sportacus’ ring. He held it, felt the diamond under his finger, as his other hand brought Sportacus’ closer. Time seemed to stop as he pushed the ring on. It took a moment for Robbie to realize what happened, a smile on his face by the time he laughed in disbelief. Sportacus grinned at him, tears in his eyes, and Robbie found it in himself to grin back. 

Their families rejoiced, alerting him that they weren’t the only ones there. He could _hear_ Glanni, far too loud from his seat. Sportacus’ family clapped and cheered as well, so perhaps his brother wasn’t too far off. 

The officiator handed the ceremony over to Íþróttaálfurinn without pronouncing Sportacus and Robbie, as he was supposed to. The pair sat down cross-legged at the altar, facing each other. There was more freedom to be touchy and talk. 

“Hey, you did great!” Sportacus whispered. Robbie shuddered and shook his head, “No, I didn’t. I barely even comprehended your vows.” 

Sportacus laughed, “I barely understood yours! I think we’re both too nervous.” 

“I suppose we are.” Robbie said, only half-grumbling. He scooted closer to his almost-husband and took his hands. 

“One more ceremony.” Sportacus reminded. 

Robbie nodded, quite aware of how close they were to being actual husbands. They both watched the elf girls and boys reading their ceremony, just getting everything put together to be rightfully handed out. 

Sportacus took that moment to gaze at his beautiful lover. Robbie looked amazing in his white tuxedo. He was supposed to wear a skirt with the tux shirt and jacket later. He felt himself swoon just at the thought. Currently his makeup looked gorgeous, making his eyes pop and giving his cheeks just a little bit more definition. His catching lipstick made Sportacus want to kiss him, but since he couldn’t he struggled to hold back. 

It was a little concerning how fast Robbie’s pulse was, but since sitting down it’d returned to normal. Sportacus rubbed his thumb over Robbie’s ring, felt the new sensation of the engraved diamond compared to his lover’s calloused hands. Sportacus chuckled when he noticed Robbie was unconsciously doing the same thing. 

They were so close. Literal minutes from being married. Their long, long week of seeing people and practicing and worrying was almost over. He was concerned with many things, such as 40 focusing on mental health for the first time in Lazytown, Stephanie’s training once they got back, his family celebrating for three days, and of course Robbie and his honey moon. Those concerns were pushed away, however, when the altar girls and boys dressed in all white carried the flowers onto the altar. 

Robbie’s pulse picked up again. Sportacus shushed him and leaned forward to rub at his shoulders, gathering Robbie’s attention. He’d be calmer if he just focused on him. 

The first flower to decorate Robbie’s suit were globe amaranths. Sportacus had picked it out, like he did with the other flowers. This one symbolized immortal love. The second were dahlias, representing elegance and dignity. Robbie had both of those traits, leading to Sportacus picking those two. There were purple and white heathers, meaning beauty, admiration, and protection. The last flowers were proteas, meaning courage and hope. It was a bit of an odd arrangement, but in elven culture it was the meaning that counted. 

The flowers were pinned to Robbie’s tux, his tie and even tucked behind his ears. A full crown of the arrangement was lastly placed upon his head. Sportacus felt his breath leave, tears close to spilling. His soon-to-be husband was beautiful, dressed in the ceremonial marriage arrangement he had picked out.

How long had he dreamed of seeming Robbie decorated like this? Sportacus honestly didn’t know. As for his own decorations, he felt nervous for the arrangement Robbie had chosen for him, but was also excited to see it.

Robbie took a deep breath. He was covered almost head to toe in heart touching flowers that Sportacus had picked out. It was taking everything not to cry, even if he only vaguely knew the meanings of seventy percent of them. Now it was his turn to watch Sportacus almost cry as he was decorated for their marriage. 

A white coreopsis was the first flower, meaning always cheerful. Robbie had instantly picked it out. There were forget-me-nots and blue mallows, meaning true love. White lilies represented purity. The last flower of his arrangement were Lily of the valleys, meaning sweetness and trust. 

Robbie grinned as Sportacus started crying as the flower crown was placed upon his head. There were tears in his own eyes and that was okay. This _was_ his wedding day after all. 

The altar girls and boys walked away. Both men were covered with flowers, two beautiful crowns upon their heads. They were on the last steps of the ceremony. Íþróttaálfurinn sat down with them, two flowers in his hands. In his old age he’d been given the honor of Chief of the village. Along with the title came the somehow low maintenance job and responsibility of officiating elven weddings in the village. He gave both of them a big, teary eyed smile before addressing their audience. 

“Friends, family, we are here today to unite these two men in love. This ceremony has been a strange one, combining human and elven traditions together. This is a special day for these two, and for my family as well. But as Chief of our village, I am here to officiate the wedding as of right now. 

“Here in my hand is a red and a white rose. These two have picked out flowers meaning true love in their arrangements. The last step is to unite them, which is the meaning of the red and white roses together.”

Íþrót handed each of them a flower, the red to Robbie and the white to Sportacus. He narrated while the two of them leaned forward to pin the flower to the other’s tie, over their hearts. 

There was only one more step.

“Robin, Tryggvi...please, each of you take a petal from your rose.” He watched as Robbie plucked a white petal, Sportacus a red. “To become truly united, you must become one with the rose of your partner. Only then will you be completely and wholly married.”

Robbie took a deep breath. This certainly wasn’t his culture, but it was one time, and he was ready to get the ceremony over with. Sportacus raised the petal to his lips, which Robbie accepted with a slight cringe. It felt almost waxy, a unique taste that he couldn’t quite find comfort in. It stuck to the roof of his mouth at first. After some coaxing he was able to swallow it. 

He raised the white petal to Sportacus’ lips, who ate it without hesitance. He had no difficulty in swallowing it. As soon as it was down Íþróttaálfurinn loudly pronounced them husband and husband, but Robbie didn’t hear it over the cheers of their families and his and Sportacus’ sobs. 

Sportacus tackled his _husband_ and kissed Robbie firmly on the lips. They kissed and kissed, hands carefully in each other’s hair, legs twined. Their families didn’t seem to have a problem with it, Sportacus’ family whooping and hollering loudly. They only parted from their kiss for a breath, air capacity limited due to their ugy, happy sobbing. 

“I love you, oh my gods Robbie, _I love you!_ ”

“I love you too, Jesus Christ Sportacus!” Robbie laughed between his sobs, looking into those ever bright blue eyes. “I love you so much- you’re my fucking _husband!_ ” They kissed again, shameless in their love. They held each other tightly, almost afraid to let go. Kisses were pecked over each other’s faces, causing them to laugh between their sobs. 

Eventually they had to get up. They thanked everybody for coming and gave hugs as they traveled to each seating row. Sportacus’ best man, Pablo, and Robbie’s, Flobby, all met up for a picture. Sportacus and Robbie had a few done, then a Rotten-Glaepur photograph including Stingy. Sportacus’ side of the family would have theirs taken later. 

The first day of celebration was amazing. There was nonstop dancing, food, and a lot of coffee. They had a multi-tiered sugar-free cake that Robbie and Sportacus cut together. One of them had frosting all over their face by the time they were done. Some of the wedding traditions were left for the other two days, something for everyone to look forward to. The first day went by fast, a confusing yet happy blur to the two of them. 

The married couple slow danced as the last of their guests left. They’d all be back the next day, but for the moment they enjoyed the last of the music before their DJ packed up for the night. 

Sportacus picked his head up from his husband’s shoulder. Robbie’s makeup with a little smudged, but he still managed to look amazing. Sportacus had a feeling there were light lipstick kisses smudged over his cheeks and neck. It would explain why Robbie kept brushing his cheeks or dabbing at him with a napkin. Robbie’s flower crown was crooked, the flowers pinned to his tux a little smashed from the constant hugging of hellos and goodbyes. He was sure his own looked no different after a night of partying. 

“....did you have a good night?”

“Yeah, I did.” Robbie’s voice was hoarse, but it didn’t stop him from laughing, “I did confuse your Aunt Sóley with your Aunt Eva, though. I thought she was going to kill me.” 

Sportacus laughed, snuggling his head back under Robbie’s chin. “Well, they _are_ twins.” 

Robbie hummed, sounding noncommittal to the information. They swayed for a few minutes more. The DJ packed up, Robbie paid him. The two of them tidied up any trash that had been missed by the small clean-up crew that’d just left. Hand in hand, they walked back to Sportacus’ home. 

Íþróttaálfurinn had partied so hard that he was asleep on the living room couch. Great-Aunt Seven was asleep in her room. Amma sat awake with an old book, smirking up at them when they entered. 

“Congratulations, my boys.” She whispered. She pushed forward a gift- a leather-bound book- before getting up and giving them each a kiss as she left for bed. 

“What is it..?” Robbie asked. Sportacus opened it and gasped, suddenly emotional again. 

It was a scrap book, and Sportacus would have cried at the first picture if he hadn’t almost dehydrated himself from his emotional day. Robbie peeked over his shoulder and was much in the same boat. They held onto each other, hesitant to turn the next page. 

The book catalogued their relationship. The first page was a picture of the two of them from Sport’s first holiday in Lazytown, when Robbie was a villain and was enjoying Christmas with the town. The kids were so young- in fact, _everyone_ looked younger. Robbie pointed out it was taken almost ten years ago. 

The next few pages were of baby Sportacus, with the race car Robbie had made in many of them. Then there was the scarce pictures of baby Robbie, with his five years elder brother and the triplets three years younger than him. There was a picture of his mother, as radiant as nature, with her fae beauty, and his stern but loving father. 

Stephanie must have helped Amma with the book, since there were pictures of Robbie from his villain days. There were a few of Robbie before Sportacus’ arrival, (probably provided by Pixel) and a handful of pictures of Sportacus still in hero school. Then there were the ones with Robbie in disguises or Sportacus fighting a robot. 

There was Robbie talking at his class reunion and some from Sportacus’ birthday. Some pictures were from the Rotten-Glæpur Winter Meetup, others from their day ice skating. There was one of them on their first date, and another the day Stephanie left Lazytown. A handful of photos were of Sportacus as a teacher compared to the few taken of Robbie baking at home. The two of them snickered over domestic photos taken from their everyday lives or holidays. 

The last page that Amma had left decorated was a somehow developed photo of the two of them on the altar, covered almost head-to-toe in flowers. They were lying on the ground, kissing and crying, taken only hours before. Sportacus hiccuped, tears freely falling down his cheeks. Robbie’s sore eyes stung, cursing softly as he started to cry again too.

“I love you, Robbie- Robbie mín.” Sportacus leaned onto his tiptoes to pepper every inch of his husband’s face in kisses. Robbie laughed and cried and hugged him tighter around the middle. 

“Sportacus- Tryggvi, I love you too!” He reciprocated the action, rejoicing in the soft giggling of his lover, even if it sounded thick with tears and mucus. 

The married couple swayed together, arms tight around the other. Robbie looked at the open book and gently moved to shut it. There were _many_ pages Amma left blank, for them to decorate and detail. But that was for another time. 

Today they ended one chapter in their life, and started another. Robbie guided his husband back to their bedroom, ready to end their first new exciting day and love again tomorrow. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE END OH MY FUCKING GOOOOOD-
> 
> This has been a freaking _journey_ , my dudes. I'm not ready for it to be over, but this is all I have written for these two! Who knows, maybe I'll do little ficlets dwelling into their daily life, or something with Glanni or the kids. We'll see!
> 
> I feel like all of this is going to hit me in like the next twenty-four hours and I'll just be a gross sobbing mess because I loved writing this fic. I know a lot of you guys loved this too- we're all in this together man! 
> 
> I'd like to thank everyone for their kudos, comments, and just for reading this in general. My writing style changed like six times in this, and Glanni was literally all over the place (wtf even was his characterization???). To ya'll who stuck around for the end, THANK YOU!! YOU WONDERFUL HUMAN BEINGS I LOVE YOU ALL!
> 
> In my writing daze, I cannot think of anything else to say (other than repeating I love you all and thank you!!). So this is it for this fic, but don't worry! I'll definitely be writing more here! So keep a look out for me :) Thanks everybody so fucking much for reading, and have the _best_ day or night!  <3


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